How phones are hacked via Bluetooth and how to protect yourself

 

Remember when was the last time you disable Bluetooth on your phone? Yes, we all rely on Bluetooth technology in our daily lives, and we are surrounded by hundreds of phones that work the same everywhere we go. Like WiFi, it is vulnerable to hacking. However, Bluetooth in particular carries a huge amount of potential risks. But how do hack phones relying on the Bluetooth connection?

 

While it allows phones to be connected to each other within very small distances and likely for a short period of time, most hackers and intruders rely on getting as close to the target as possible and carrying out the attack in a limited time frame. Go to crowded public areas like the metro or cafes and malls and you'll find yourself surrounded by hundreds of active phones.

 

So, being several meters away from the intruder may make us safe, but not completely, since some hackers are experienced with how to reach the target via Bluetooth even after hundreds of meters away from it. Recently, some cybercriminals were able to hack the phones' Bluetooth and control it in just 10 seconds, and it is worrying that they did not interact in any way with the user.

 

What are the most common types of Bluetooth attacks?

 

There are three types of Bluetooth-based attacks, each with a different tactic and a specific degree of damage they can cause. Bluejacking attacks are the least harmful of the Bluetooth attacks, are often anonymous, and involve sending unsolicited messages to the target such as sexual messages, rudeness, or pornographic scenes that are not suitable to be seen. Bluejacking attacks are the most popular because of how easy they are for many novice hackers, and because they are like heavy pranks that are intended to annoy and hurt the recipient only.

 

Among all the attacks based on Bluetooth technology, Bluesnarfing attacks are the most complex and the most dangerous, due to their targeting to steal information stored on the phone’s memory and its ability to penetrate even from a distance of more than 300 meters and without leaving any trace of the damage inflicted on the victim. These attacks can steal information from inside emails, passwords, photos, and most highly sensitive information such as personally identifiable data.

 

Bluesnarfing attacks are carried out by criminals who are skilled in hacking operations and have the ability to take full control and control of the victim's phone. By creating a backdoor inside the phone system, it is easy to eavesdrop on phone calls, intercept them, or even divert and forward them to other phones. The hacker can also deal with and respond to text messages, make calls, and access accounts, and applications online, all without the phone owner being aware of anything suspicious happening through his phone.

 

As for the third type, BlueBorne attacks are the most intelligent, due to the ability to hack the phone without pairing with the phone, and even without the target's phone being detectable. As long as the phone has Bluetooth technology, then it is vulnerable to hacking. BlueBorne attacks were discovered in 2017 by the security company Armis, which confirmed through a statement that these attacks are able to spread in the air within range without association, and are able to infect targets with malware and access critical business data and networks. This type of attack relies on electronic espionage, data breaches and theft, ransomware campaigns, and control of a group of devices connected to a private network in order to carry out associated breaches.

 

How do you protect yourself?

 

Bluetooth Off: Naturally whenever the Bluetooth connection remains on, it will continue to search for open phones in the same range to get ready to communicate with any of them. This is the time hackers have always been waiting for: unsuspecting users who either forget their Bluetooth is turned on or leave it on all the time without caring. Therefore, it is best to disable Bluetooth as long as you do not need it, especially in public areas and crowded places.

 

Do not share important information and highly sensitive data: Due to the weaknesses of this type of communication, it is best not to rely on it to share important data that may include banking information, passwords, personal photos and other identifying details.

 

Change bluetooth settings to 'Not Discoverable': The worst types of dangerous attacks that happen via bluetooth are those that don't need the connection running like Blueborn attacks. In fact, there are many attacks already done on devices through Bluetooth even while the undetectable feature is active, it is rare, however precaution is necessary and it is best to adhere to all recommendations to reduce dangerous possibilities.

 

Caution when pairing with others and not pairing in public: Never try to agree to the pairing process unless you are confident that it is indeed the intended phone you want to pair with. Public places are also a place for cybercriminals, hackers, and hacker enthusiasts. So it is best not to pair with any other phone unless you are in a safe place so you can be assured that there are no hackers in the same range.

 

Don't forget to unpair after you're done: After you've finished pairing with any phone, don't forget to unpair it. If the phone is stolen or lost, it is best to remove it from the list of paired devices.

 

Install all the updates that you get constantly: Whenever new security vulnerabilities are discovered in communications technology, companies quickly find a way to fend off emerging attacks by rolling out new security updates and sending them to users' phones. Therefore, you should always make sure that your phone and all apps are up to date whenever you receive any updates.