Bluetooth is used worldwide as one of the most convenient methods of connecting and controlling connected devices. However, according to a recent report, a vulnerability called KNOB (Key Negotiation of Bluetooth) has been identified in Bluetooth connections.
All Bluetooth-compatible devices can be affected by the vulnerability, which allows attackers to spy on a victim's private conversations. Hackers can also exploit the vulnerability to steal data stored on the compromised device.
When establishing a Bluetooth connection, both devices rely on an encryption key. Hackers who want to carry out the attack exploit a vulnerability in the Bluetooth standard and weaken this encryption instead of disabling it outright.
The vulnerability affects devices from some of the most well-known manufacturers, namely Apple , Qualcomm , and Intel . Companies including Apple, Microsoft, Cisco , Google , Blackberry, Broadcom, and Chicony have already issued a patch to fix the flaw, Mashable reports .
The team of researchers from the Singapore University of Technology and Design, the University of Oxford, and the CISPA Helmholtz Information Center, who found this critical vulnerability, explained:
"We have found a serious vulnerability in Bluetooth that allows an attacker to bypass its security mechanisms for any device compatible with the standard. As a result, the attacker can listen to or change the content of Bluetooth communication even between devices that have previously been successfully paired."
