More than 20 years later, Bluetooth is still one of the most popular technologies and is very present in all kinds of devices. However, be very careful because no one escapes hacking networks.
Bluetooth continues to be a function of enormous utility and, in addition, little by little, it is gaining greater relevance.
At the end of June we already counted how a Bluetooth novelty is about to come to light. This is an incremental update to Bluetooth 5.2, which comes under the name 5.3. We leave you the report in the following link.
However, every good side always has a somewhat darker side and that is that we find 3 terms related to attacks that we explain what they consist of: Bluejacking, Bluesnarfing and Bluebugging.
What is Bluejacking?
Bluejacking is a hacking method that allows a person send messages to any Bluetooth-enabled device within the range of your own device, with, of course, unpleasant or even malicious messages.
If you have an active Bluetooth connection, another person nearby can use their Bluetooth to send you unwanted messages. Bluejacking is a lot like the doorbell, in that a person rings someone’s doorbell and disappears before the owner can answer the door.
However, this type of attack does not involve installing anything on your device, so it is not too worrying.
The first reported incident of Bluejacking occurred between 2001 and 2003. A Malaysian IT consultant who called himself “Ajack” used his Ericsson phone to send a message to a bored Nokia phone user while waiting his turn to be serviced at the bank.
What is Bluebugging?
Here we enter a somewhat more dangerous terrain. Bluebugging is a type of hacking that allows individuals to access a device with a Bluetooth connection. Once the target device accesses a tampered link, the attacker can take full control of it.
The attacker will then be able to send messages, access your address book and initiate or eavesdrop on phone calls.
At first, Bluebugging was focused on spying or tapping a computer with a Bluetooth connection, however, now with new technologies, itCybercriminals have switched to hacking mobile phones, making it much easier.
One more aspect to take into account is that, knowing that Bluetooth connections sometimes do not go beyond 10 m, attackers use reinforcement antennas to extend the range of their attack, although it is true that if you are not the president of the Government it is unlikely that you will be the object of this type of intentions.
What is Bluesnarfing?
It is easy to be a victim of a Bluesnarfing attack if you are in the habit of using Bluetooth in public places and your phone is usually in public view mode. Bluesnarfing is simply the theft of information via Bluetooth.
Hackers have it very easy as they access mobile devices, laptops or tablets whose connection has been left open by their owners. The problem is that practically they can copy everything on your phone or device, including your emails, contact list, phone number, passwords and your photos.
All of this happens without the victim’s knowledge, of course, which is why the attacks can last a long time.
Perhaps the most well-known case of Bluesnarfing was the one carried out by Google around 2013, in which Google admitted that it was collecting data from wireless networks in the clear, which is Bluesnarfing in its purest form. Among the information obtained were emails and passwords.
As a result, Google paid $7 million and a harsh campaign of brand destruction by Microsoft. We leave you the linked news.
Knowing all this, it is obvious that there are some tricks or tips to follow to avoid one of these three attacks that are gaining a lot of prominence, although security improvements are already included in the Bluetooth news.
The most efficient and logical step is Turn off Bluetooth when you’re not using it. It’s also best to avoid pairing with any device you don’t recognize and don’t accept AirDrops and similar Bluetooth messages from strangers.
Protect your device with strong passwords and change them from time to time if you suspect that something strange may be happening. For example, Bluebugging attacks take advantage of software vulnerabilities to bypass authentication, so keep your devices up to date.
At the end of it all, knowing what these terms mean is the first step to staying safe from these cybercriminals.
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism