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It seems to come around quicker every year – the failure of so-called smart toys to meet the most basic of security requirements. Which? has discovered a bunch of sack fillers that dirtbags can use to chat to your kids this Christmas.
Back in 2017, the consumer group found toys with security problems relating to network connections, apps or other interactive features. The results of its latest round of testing show manufacturers are struggling to improve standards.
Working with security researchers NCC Group, Which? found a karaoke machine that could transmit audio from anyone passing within Bluetooth range because of its unsecured connection. It found walkie-talkies from VTech which anyone with their own set of similar equipment could connect to over a 200-metre range. It also found a Mattel-backed games portal which appeared to be unmoderated, allowing users to upload their own games with content inappropriate for children.
Ken Munro, security researcher with consultancy Pen Test Partners, said that although there was no evidence the vulnerabilities revealed by Which? had not been used by nefarious characters to contact children, parents should still beware of toys that do not meet minimum standards.
"The reason we don't hear of these attacks is they are local: it would be one parent at a time. Is it still worrying? Yes, I don't like the idea of this thing being unsecured," he said.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 12 2019, @09:10PM (2 children)
DoD banned Furbies ~20 years ago anywhere in the building because they had some kind of a learning ability. They thought they could have been used for spying even though they weren't Internet connected.
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Friday December 13 2019, @02:28AM
So many reasons to ban -- and buy [queenofwands.net] them.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Friday December 13 2019, @03:37AM
The deeper story is more that they feared it would be too easy to undetectably modify a Furby to act as a spying device. Understandably, they have a bit of an aversion to anything microphone like that they haven't thoroughly vetted, and that much effort wasn't worth it just to allow toys in the building.