Voice Assistants Can Be Hacked With Ultrasonic Waves
US and Chinese researchers have successfully hacked voice assistants on smart phones under certain circumstances. In the published paper, the researchers described testing of 17 popular smartphones, including Samsung, Huawei, Apple and Google. Most devices were successfully susceptible to “…ultrasonic guided waves to elicit a reaction from the voice assistants.”
Such SurfingAttacks were inaudible to bystanders.
In the study, the researchers placed piezoelectric disks capable of transmitting ultrasonic waves under tables made from a variety of materials. They were able to seize control of voice assistants on phones placed atop the tables. Successful hacks involved fooling the voice assistants to send our fraudulent text messages and phone calls.
In related research, other experiments showed success perpetrating attacks through over-the-air transmission to hack into voice assistants. The new methodology relies on a longer, more direct contact which can compensate for voice assistants’ built-in confirmation requirements or protective protocols. The security firm ESET has released a warning about these specific kinds of attacks.
The take home lesson is that consumers, in accepting the convenience of interconnectedness, have unknowingly exposed themselves to risk of harm, including identity theft. It is yet one more reason why the platforms and their manufacturing partners need to invest more resources in hardening these ubiquitous tools. For more information on how to protect yourself in the interim, please start with Bob Villa’s The Ten Biggest Security Threats in Today’s Smart Home.
