• Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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    8 months ago

    I wonder if I could get work to buy me one and claim that I’ll use it for pen testing.

    My coworkers would 100% definitely plug it in if they saw it lying around just to see what it was. They’re real bad.

  • TWeaK@lemm.ee
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    8 months ago

    You should probably keep your wifi and bluetooth set to switch off automatically anyway, what with how much they’re used for tracking.

    • XbSuper@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Doesn’t work if you have Bluetooth devices on all the time (like a smartwatch or earbuds).

      • TWeaK@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        Earbuds aren’t on all the time, so you can enable when needed and set it to disable after a few min of activity.

        I can see that smart watches might be a problem. They should perhaps use a dedicated protocol for always on devices like that.

    • Monument@lemmy.sdf.org
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      8 months ago

      I don’t know if turning off Bluetooth protects against flipper attacks (Edit: Nah.), but unless something has changed, it (sadly) doesn’t preserve your privacy.

      It’s not really documented, as far as I can tell, but Bluetooth low energy stays on, even when you toggle Bluetooth off for both iOS and Android. As of iOS 15, even turning off iPhones means the phone is still trackable. (Unsure about Android on that front.) Apple’s ‘Find my’ network uses Bluetooth low energy, same as Bluetooth beacons.

      Confused developers: one, two, three.

      • TWeaK@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        That sounds like disabling Bluetooth on iphones doesn’t disable Bluetooth LE. Sucks for iPhone users.

        • Monument@lemmy.sdf.org
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          8 months ago

          I mean, it sucks for everyone that can’t or don’t want to run homebrew OS’s.

          The “One” link I shared above indicates the behavior became standard in Android 8 and iOS 11. They were released in August and September 2017, respectively.

    • Polar@lemmy.ca
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      8 months ago

      I almost always use it. For my smart band, PC notifications, wireless Android auto…

        • Polar@lemmy.ca
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          8 months ago

          Ok, well I’m not going to stop using my fitness band or Android auto because I’m a paranoid person. Might as well never leave your home and never use any devices connected to the internet.

            • Polar@lemmy.ca
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              8 months ago

              DId somEbOdy SaY yOu sHouLd?

              If you’re not implying that, then your reply was pointless.

              • helenslunch@feddit.nl
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                8 months ago

                It wasn’t pointless. It was to make you and others aware that, as the message said, its a security vulnerability, so that you can make an informed decision about whether you want to keep it on or not.

                • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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                  8 months ago

                  Right but your arguement of “well turn it off then” doesn’t work. Because people need it to be on because they use it, because it’s a useful technology.

                • Polar@lemmy.ca
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                  8 months ago

                  I want to keep it, otherwise all of my everyday devices become paperweights. Thanks.

                • lukini@beehaw.org
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                  8 months ago

                  What was the point of your comment then if not a veiled suggestion to turn it off?

    • Monument@lemmy.sdf.org
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      8 months ago

      Looks like that’s an ineffective approach.

      I commented elsewhere with an explanation and a bit of speculation. I did later confirm that even ‘disabling’ Bluetooth doesn’t stop the attack.

      The attack method works even when Bluetooth has been disabled using airplane mode from the control panel, which may surprise you. In which case, you’ll be shocked to discover that disabling Bluetooth this way, erm, doesn’t. Instead, you’d need to disable it directly from your device settings or run your iPhone in Lockdown Mode to prevent these advertising pop-ups from being received.
      Source

      Assuming similar on Android, it’s possible, but not that easy toggle everyone knows about.

      • sadreality@kbin.social
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        8 months ago

        Correct both android and iOS don’t disable it unless manually done in BT settings.

        As you walk around your BT gets tagged and they sell your data.

        Think of a setting like a mall ;)