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Hackers take control of robot vacuums in multiple cities, yell racial slurs
ABC.net ^ | 10-10-24 | Julian Fell

Posted on 10/11/2024 2:11:25 PM PDT by dynachrome

Robot vacuums in multiple US cities were hacked in the space of a few days, with the attacker physically controlling them and yelling obscenities through their onboard speakers.

The affected robots were all Chinese-made Ecovacs Deebot X2s — the exact model that the ABC was able to hack into as proof of a critical security flaw.

Minnesota lawyer Daniel Swenson was watching TV when his robot started to malfunction.

"It sounded like a broken-up radio signal or something," he told the ABC. "You could hear snippets of maybe a voice."

Through the Ecovacs app, he saw that a stranger was accessing its live camera feed and remote control feature.

(Excerpt) Read more at abc.net.au ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Chit/Chat; Humor; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: hakers; slurs; vacuums
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To: dynachrome

that sucks...


41 posted on 10/11/2024 3:17:28 PM PDT by heavy metal (smiling improves your face value and makes people wonder what the hell you're up to... 😁)
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To: CatOwner

I am not sure why a vacuum cleaner needs to be on the Internet. If you need software downloads of house map backups, you should be able to disconnect the live Internet feature once the task is done.


42 posted on 10/11/2024 3:25:57 PM PDT by Dr. Sivana ("Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." (John 2:5))
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To: frank ballenger

” Either he didn’t know how to override or the system was seized up from the damage like a locked up PC. “

Or maybe he was already dead.


43 posted on 10/11/2024 3:28:35 PM PDT by TexasGator (FIXED! I. I)
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To: TexasGator

RE: Or maybe he was already dead.

He was frantically trying to get the door to open and pleading for help.

Nancy Sinatra said he hadn’t mastered the many arrows and symbols so that may have played a role. But back seat doors can be childproof locked to keep them from trying to leave while the car is moving. Seemed to happen to his main door.


44 posted on 10/11/2024 3:35:03 PM PDT by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
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To: dynachrome

That’ll happen in Nov before voting starts.


45 posted on 10/11/2024 3:37:43 PM PDT by cableguymn (They don't want peace they want skeletons )
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To: Dr. Sivana

“I am not sure why a vacuum cleaner needs to be on the Internet. If you need software downloads of house map backups, you should be able to disconnect the live Internet feature once the task is done.”

WiFi is used to communicate to the device from the app.


46 posted on 10/11/2024 3:38:59 PM PDT by TexasGator (FIXED! I. I)
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To: CatOwner

Now couple that with decoupled steering in the cyber truck and computerized hydraulic control of the braking system and they can take over the truck and the operator will just be along for the ride locked out of everything.


47 posted on 10/11/2024 3:40:22 PM PDT by cableguymn (They don't want peace they want skeletons )
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To: frank ballenger

“He was frantically trying to get the door to open and pleading for help.”

Reports say he was killed instantly.

OTOH, the door may have been physically jammed from the collision. There is nothing electronic preventing the door from opening.


48 posted on 10/11/2024 3:41:58 PM PDT by TexasGator (FIXED! I. I)
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To: dynachrome

If my robo-vac started yelling racial slurs, I think I’d laugh my @$$ off.


49 posted on 10/11/2024 3:43:08 PM PDT by Allegra (“As I was saying…”)
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To: dynachrome
lol... actually that is something we did regularly as kids with prank phone calls!! man that was a gas!...
50 posted on 10/11/2024 3:44:47 PM PDT by sit-rep
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To: DFG

51 posted on 10/11/2024 3:50:43 PM PDT by lowbridge ("Let’s check with Senator Schumer before we run it" - NY Times)
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To: frank ballenger

“But back seat doors can be childproof locked to keep them from trying to leave while the car is moving. Seemed to happen to his main door.”

There is no mechanism in the front door to prevent the inside door handle from operating.

OTOH, rear doors with the childproof lock activated can still be opened from the outside.


52 posted on 10/11/2024 3:54:40 PM PDT by TexasGator (FIXED! I. I I)
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To: dynachrome

I have a robo vacuum cleaner. I don’t have it hooked up to the Wi-fi.


53 posted on 10/11/2024 4:04:24 PM PDT by roving (Deplorable Erectionists Listless Vessel )
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To: glorgau

Why is a vacuum cleaner connected to anything outside of itself?


54 posted on 10/11/2024 4:21:28 PM PDT by magooey (The Mandate of Heaven resides in the hearts of men.)
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To: wally_bert

I liked the Black and Decker Dust Buster! /S ROFLMAOASTD


55 posted on 10/11/2024 4:31:13 PM PDT by spel_grammer_an_punct_polise (Learn three chords and you, too, can be a Rock Star! ;-))
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To: dynachrome

Remember those movies and Ray Bradbury stories about robot houses that take over? And here I thought it was just science fiction...


56 posted on 10/11/2024 4:35:09 PM PDT by Flaming Conservative ((Pray without ceasing))
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To: sit-rep

“lol... actually that is something we did regularly as kids with prank phone calls!! man that was a gas!...”

AH - HA! I finally caught you calling many taxi cab companies to the neighbors’ houses and watching the chaos from your darkened room!

OR

Sending flowers to everyone in the neighborhood!

Yeah, it was YOU! Now you are going down, I tell ya! ;-)


57 posted on 10/11/2024 4:40:20 PM PDT by spel_grammer_an_punct_polise (Learn three chords and you, too, can be a Rock Star! ;-))
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To: Sarah Barracuda
Had I been the hacker it would have been "all Beevis, all the time". :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE9qHZb5CYE

58 posted on 10/11/2024 4:53:14 PM PDT by The Duke (Not without incident.)
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To: dynachrome

Don’t think of yourself as a victim. Just suck it up.


59 posted on 10/11/2024 4:57:29 PM PDT by Revel
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To: spel_grammer_an_punct_polise

that all came to a screeching hault with the outing of I think it was *69 or something like that where you hit it and you get straight back to the person who just called...

and... ummmm... I was a tad bit more devient than ordering flowers!! lol


60 posted on 10/11/2024 6:09:33 PM PDT by sit-rep
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