This Radio trick silently hacks Siri (Google Now probably Cortana) from 16 feet away (Link Only)

Wired - LINK ONLY | October 14, 2015 | by ANDY GREENBERG

[Swordmaker]

Due to Wired copyright considerations:

This Radio trick silently hacks Siri (and Google Now and probably Cortana) from 16 feet away

Requires headphones and microphone be plugged into mobile device. . . then induced radio waves use the wire as an antenna spoofs the device into picking up radio waves as audio. More at the site.

[WayneS]

Siri has never been activated on my iphone - and it never will be.

[RayChuang88]

To activate Siri on my iPhone 6, I have to actually double-tap the Home key. Otherwise, it won’t work.

[rarestia]

Sword can keep me honest here, but I think you have to turn off Siri as a function in the general settings. I’ve had Siri actually turned off in my settings for years.

[kingu]

To activate Google Now, I have to be on the home screen, to activate Cortana, I actually have to be in the Cortana app...

I guess this is one of those ‘if everything was perfect’ scenarios. A cool trick, that’s about it.

[Swordmaker]

As reported by Wired, a French Security firm discovers that an obscure radio transmitting technique can use the headphone/microphone cable of a mobile device of iPhones/iPads/Android devices (and probably Cortana capable Windows devices) to receive surreptitious radio signals, that will be interpreted as audio commands for Siri, Google Now, etc., to control commands for the device to do malicious things on the device including navigate to a malicious website, turn on the phone and dial a number to listen in on conversations in the area, hear voice mail, etc. This is a really low possibility as the cables could not be used for any other purpose, such as listening to music, while this exploit takes place, as the signal strength will be very low. — PING!

Ping for dayglored; ThunderSleeps; Shadow Ace for your prospective Ping lists.

Apple iOS Siri, Google Now, Windows Cortana, security
Ping!

The Latest Apple/Mac/iOS Pings can be found by searching Keyword “ApplePingList” on Freerepublic’s Search.

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[Swordmaker]

To activate Siri on my iPhone 6, I have to actually double-tap the Home key. Otherwise, it won’t work.

You can hold the phone up to your ear and say "Hey Siri. . . and proceed with your question. Or if you have a head set on, same thing. This "exploit" is so obscure, I doubt it will ever be a problem.

[Skywise]

Actually it might - there’s a phone control in earbuds that work by changing the electrical resistance on the cable to get Siri to come up. This same process could probably fake it too.

Honestly, I don’t find this that big of a concern.

[Swordmaker]

I guess this is one of those ‘if everything was perfect’ scenarios. A cool trick, that’s about it.

It's a cool trick. . . and requires exact conditions to work.

[tophat9000]

a wire will act like an antenna that's hardly anything new...that the basics of radio when it was invented... a modulated electromagnetic waves crossing through a wire induce a signal ...electronics 101

hell the first time heard Rush Limbaugh was because of something like this.....

Back in late 80’s i use to live a few miles from the KFI radio tower... that big 50000 watt transmitter...

And my apartment had so so phone lines...

The KFI signals was picked up on my phone lines and tripped my answering machine ...it taped 2 hours of Rush Limbaugh show.

That was that first time I heard him..taped on my phone answering machine

[Red Badger]

Sounds Siri-ous.................

[HiTech RedNeck]

A Siri that did a challenge-response authentication could also help. “Hello Siri what’s the code?” “5629” “5629 Siri, please call 1-800-CHEAT-ME”

[Cyman]

“Siri has never been activated on my iphone - and it never will be.”

Do you really believe it has to be activated? :)

[ex91B10]

Anyone remember "Captain Crunch"?

[W.]

Yeah, and all the different boxes to hack the systems.

[ex91B10]

When hacking was for fun...

[WayneS]

Poor choice of wording on my part.

It has been deactivated on my iPhone and will never be activated. Turning Siri off was the very first thing I did when I was issued the phone.

[higgmeister]

I have never used my Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with a headset/mic cord to control my phone. The whole idea irritates me to think of it.

It is interesting though, but wouldn't someone notice if a hacker was close enough to pull this off?

Maybe if the hacker was on a bus with the victim a seats away. I isn't really practical because the hacker might wait all day to find someone with a mic plugged in but not using the device.

[Swordmaker]

Maybe if the hacker was on a bus with the victim a seats away. I isn't really practical because the hacker might wait all day to find someone with a mic plugged in but not using the device.

Exactly the only scenario in which it could work. . . plus total silence.

[Unrepentant VN Vet]

Okay, does THIS qualify for a FacePalm Moment GIF?

(Or shall we reserve that for the writer/”scientific” study that positively establishes that smacking an iPhone with a ten-pound hammer will cause a lack of function?)