Bluetooth is present in every modern device and gadget. It plays a crucial role in their operation. It could not but create a big problem, with the flaw identified in the communication protocol.
According to David Starobinski and Johannes Becker of Boston University, smartphones, laptops, and wearables can be detected through an exploit of Bluetooth technology.
The research paper that first reported the issuestated that there is a flaw in the constantly changing, random MAC that are designed to keep Bluetooth devices safe from detection. In this way, the vulnerability allows would-be hackersto not only track a device but also obtain information about its identity and user information.
The algorithm exploits the way in which random device addresses are generated, and by using special tokens it can identify a seemingly new device with one it already knows from the past.
This Bluetooth exploit was detected on Windows 10, iOS , and macOS. Android devices, on the other hand, advertise their release in a completely different way and are not affected by the vulnerability.
Of course, researchers who have worked on the Bluetooth flaw have mentioned ways in which devices that have already been affected could be protected. Essentially, what can be done for now is to synchronize any changes in detection information with changes in a device's MAC address. Of course, there is also the temporary solution, which only concerns iOS and macOS device users, which is to turn Bluetooth on and off. But this certainly does not solve the problem.
This flaw was first reported to Apple and Microsoft in November. It is a fact that the use of Bluetooth is predicted to increase in the coming years, so the need to create methods of resistance to detection should be of primary importance.
According to researchers , if the vulnerability is not patched immediately, hackers will be able to combine transactions, facial recognition, and sensitive user information with the tracking data, allowing them to obtain a complete profile of the victim.
