Researchers have uncovered a significant security vulnerability affecting Bluetooth audio devices from popular brands like Sony, Anker, and Nothing. The flaw allows potential attackers to eavesdrop on conversations or track devices connected to Google’s Find Hub network, as reported by Wired.
Researchers from KU Leuven University’s Computer Security and Industrial Cryptography group in Belgium discovered multiple vulnerabilities in Google’s Fast Pair protocol. This flaw enables hackers within Bluetooth range to covertly pair with certain headphones, earbuds, and speakers. Dubbed WhisperPair by the researchers, these attacks can even target iPhone users with impacted Bluetooth devices, despite Fast Pair being a Google-specific feature.
Fast Pair simplifies Bluetooth pairing by facilitating seamless connections between wireless audio accessories and Android or Chrome OS devices through a simple tap. However, the researchers found that numerous devices fail to implement Fast Pair correctly, violating a Google specification that prohibits Fast Pair devices from connecting to a new device while already paired with another.
The researchers successfully tested the WhisperPair attacks on over two dozen Bluetooth devices, compromising 17 of them. They were able to play their own audio through the compromised headphones and speakers, intercept phone calls, and eavesdrop on conversations using the devices’ microphones.
Notably, the vulnerability affects five Sony products and Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2. In instances where these devices are not previously linked to an Android device and a Google account, WhisperPair could pair and link them to a hacker’s Google account, potentially enabling unauthorized tracking through Google’s Find Hub network.
Source: The Verge