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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: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 12 2019, @06:19PM
IIRC walkie-talkies were on CB channel 14 back then and only had 1/4 watt or less of power. CB radios were capped at 4 watts or 16 watts if on SSB. The old guy harassing you must have been within 2-3 blocks from you, so it was probably a neighbor. You could take the walkie-talkie apart and change the frequency by ordering a different crystal from Radio Shack and soldering it in place of the stock crystal. The only restricted channel was CB channel 9 which was for emergencies. Later CB radios had a PLL chip that you could add switches to for an extra 20 illegal channels out of the normal CB range. Marco 100 watt amps could be bought for $100 back then and would bleed over to TVs, radios, alarm systems, and anything else with an antenna.