The Amazon Echo often raises concerns about the fact that it is an always-on device. As a result, it records personal information that you unwittingly provide. This is precisely the main concern that overshadows other similar speaker devices, such as those from Google and Apple. The concern has also been reinforced by recent scandals involving the use of external observers who listen to the recordings.
The news comes as the Amazon Echo is vulnerable to several Wi-Fi vulnerabilities that could potentially allow a form of attack called a key-reinstallation attack (KRACK). This would allow a hacker to view and control traffic on a Wi-Fi network.
The vulnerability was discovered by the ESET Smart Home Research team and is of great importance, since millions of such devices have been sold in the US. Something very logical given the popularity of such devices. Countless efforts have been made by manufacturers to strengthen the security of speaker devices, but they always remain vulnerable in one way or another.
ESET researcher Miloš Čermák said that several such devices have been identified that could cause widespread problems. According to Amazon, these vulnerabilities have been fixed.
KRACK attack .
It was discovered in 2017 by Mathy Vanhoef and Frank Piessens. Essentially, it takes advantage of weaknesses in the WPA2 standard, which previously secured almost all modern networks . The fact that many networks are still affected by this cyberattack has led hardware to issue updates.
The results of the KRACK attack could be varied. A DoS, decryption of data or information, and monitoring of sensitive information are some of the consequences.
Solutions.
First, there’s no need to panic. Wi-Fi-related attacks require close proximity to be effective. Amazon released patches earlier this year, so most devices should be safe. Of course, a routine check for firmware doesn’t hurt. In any case, as experts say, scheduled updates are necessary in any case. Finally, it’s equally important to have a very strong password for router , as well as changing it periodically.
