Mobile devices in Hong Kong at risk of Blueborne cyberattacks
Government computer emergency team advises users to update devices with patches to prevent possibility of malicious code infections spread through flaws in Bluetooth wireless technology
Hongkongers could be among the millions of people worldwide at risk of malicious attacks on their mobile devices, laptops and other devices after flaws were discovered in the widely used Bluetooth wireless technology, according to cybersecurity experts.
The loopholes, collectively called Blueborne, were made public earlier this week by security research company Armis. They could potentially allow attackers to remotely take control of unpatched, Bluetooth devices such as laptops, smartphones, smart home appliances and even driving systems to execute malicious code or intercept device traffic.
The Hong Kong government’s computer emergency response team issued an alert on Wednesday, advising users in the city to update their devices with patches, once available, to protect themselves, and to disable the Bluetooth function if it is “unused or unnecessary”.
Malware using Bluetooth as a transmission method means that viruses are effectively “airborne”, since devices do not need to be connected to the internet to become infected.
“There are huge numbers of Bluetooth-enabled devices around the world, and if any device isn’t patched, and comes within 30 feet or so of an infected device, it can become compromised within seconds,” said Michael Gazeley, chief executive of Hong Kong-based cybersecurity firm Network Box.
“A self-replicating computer worm could, like a biological virus infecting humans, spread itself right across the globe like wildfire,” he said.
Armis researchers estimated that over 5.3 billion devices could be affected.