Hackers Stalked Me by Hijacking a Smartwatch for Kids
Security researchers demonstrated how vulnerabilities in a children's smartwatch allowed them to track and eavesdrop on a WIRED reporter, highlighting the deep insecurities in the supply chain of GPS-enabled gadgets. The attack, presented at Black Hat, involved exploiting flaws in the watch's companion app and backend servers, enabling real-time location tracking and audio interception.
It’s just one piece of a deeply insecure supply chain of GPS-enabled gadgets.
- femto
> made by an equally obscure manufacturer, YiQingTeng Electronics, in Shenzhen, China.
Is this what is meant by "Shenzhen Speed"? Dump all safeguards and get any piece of crap out the door as soon as possible? This comment isn't directed specifically at Shenzhen, as other parts of the world do the same thing and call it "Move fast and break things."
Dropping engineering standards may increase short term profits, but it erodes people's trust in the world around them when everything "sort of works".
There's an argument that this low level continuous corrosion does more long-term damage than obvious safety flaws that are serious enough to prompt corrective action.
- gkanai
Until the Chinese government penalizes these Chinese companies for these insecure practices, they'll continue to be sold as is. China doesn't need to care about Chinese made products sold for export apparently.
- jonahhorowitz
If you want to buy a smartwatch for your kids, or you want to have your kids wear something you can track, but them an Apple Watch SE. It has cellular and GPS, you can call them, you can see where they are, but they can't do much with it besides call you (and people you approve) and text people on an approved list.
It's private, it's secure, and it works with the stuff you already have.
- BrtByte
You think you're choosing between 20 different products, but underneath they may all be the same device talking to the same insecure backend. At that point "just research before you buy" isn't really useful advice
- thenthenthen
Meanwhile in China…https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1017854