Posted on 09/07/2017 11:15:12 AM PDT by BenLurkin
Did you hear that? You might not have, but Alexa did. Voice assistants have been successfully hijacked using sounds above the range of human hearing. Once in, hackers were able to make phone calls, post on social media and disconnect wireless services, among other things.
Assistants falling for the ploy included Amazon Alexa, Apple’s Siri, Google Now, Samsung S Voice, Microsoft Cortana and Huawei HiVoice, as well as some voice control systems used in cars.
The hack was created by Guoming Zhang, Chen Yan and their team at Zhejiang University in China. Using ultrasound, an inaudible command can be used to wake the assistant, giving the attacker control of the speaker, smartphone or other device, as well as access to any connected systems.
...
The attack works by converting the usual wake-up commands – “OK Google” or “Hey Siri” – into high-pitch analogues. When a voice assistant hears these sounds, they still recognise them as legitimate commands, even though they are imperceptible to the human ear.
The team was then able to open a malicious website to download malware and start a video or voice call to spy on its surroundings. Additionally, they could send text messages and publish posts online.
(Excerpt) Read more at newscientist.com ...
I used to think the same way as you, only had a non-smart phone to have a means to make emergency calls or as a necessity for receiving calls. Recently made the switch to a smart phone, and find it indispensable. They do so many useful tasks, I kick myself for not getting one earlier. My iPhone, Watch and MacBook Pro laptop work seamlessly together. I receive calls on my Watch so I don't need to grab the iPhone; the Watch also unlocks my MacBook Pro as I open the lid so I don't have to type any passwords. I ask Siri for the nearest whatever to me and it tells me how far to walk or drive and tells me where the store is, all without having to type. Convenient for snapping pictures and they're instantly sent to my other devices. Not to mention getting text messages with pics from my extended family. To each his own; I enjoy smart devices.
This is not a hack. This is a “legitimate” researcher trying to get into the device. No one else had thought of it before him. Now the whole world knows, and teenagers in Romania will be building devices to break into Alexa.
Who paid the guy to do this?
I’d tend to think that discovery and publication of such exploits, before they’re exploited in a malevolent manner, is a public service. Sort of “white hat” hacking, if you will.
It’s China
if these phoned are sooo damn smart, why can't they identify their owners voice and only respond to it?
I buy non smart phones through the internet.
Siri also answers to Stasi!
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