These days, many people use smart home devices, right?
Even a single robot vacuum cleaner can make housework much easier.
But recently, some rather shocking news has emerged.
A Spanish software engineer has reportedly discovered
a critical security flaw in a robot vacuum cleaner made by Chinese drone company Da-Jiang Innovations (DJI).
"I only tried to control one unit..."
According to US IT outlet The Verge,
software engineer Sami Azdupal, who lives in Spain,
was using Da-Jiang Innovations' robot vacuum cleaner Romo.
He said he tried reverse engineering simply because he wanted to control Romo directly with a gamepad.
However, the moment his self-developed remote-control application (app) communicated with the Da-Jiang Innovations server,
something completely unexpected happened.
"Instead of just the one unit I own, about 7,000 vacuums operating in 24 countries started following my commands."
In other words, it was not just his own vacuum at home that connected; thousands of devices around the world reacted simultaneously.
It was a truly chilling situation.
The even bigger issue: privacy
The problem did not end there.
Azdupal was able to access 100,000 messages collected by the robot vacuums,
and he said he could watch live video and listen to audio through the camera mounted on the vacuums.
He could identify users' locations, the internal layout of their homes (floor plans), the current location of each vacuum, and even battery status.
In fact, when a reporter from The Verge read out the serial number of the Da-Jiang Innovations robot vacuum cleaner being used at the reporter's home,
Azdupal was able to determine that device's remaining battery level, the home's floor plan, and its current location.
At this point, it is hard to see this as a simple bug; it is clearly a serious security threat.
Warning of security vulnerabilities: "They could become hacker targets"
Azdupal stressed that he did not intentionally attempt hacking.
He said he contacted The Verge in order to disclose the vulnerabilities.
He put it this way:
"This is a warning that smart home devices and robots can become targets for hackers,
and that they may already have been hacked."
After the report, Da-Jiang Innovations stated that the problem had been fixed.
However, Azdupal pointed out that some vulnerabilities still remain
and that security concerns have not been completely resolved.
Smart homes: the shadow behind the convenience
These days, from robot vacuum cleaners to CCTV cameras and smart speakers,
the number of "cameras" and "microphones" inside our homes is steadily increasing.
The convenience is undeniable, but it also means we need to be more alert about security.
Always keep firmware updated to the latest version,
block unnecessary external access permissions,
and regularly check security notices from manufacturers.
Even these basic steps can significantly reduce the risk.
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Reporter Lim Juhyeong skepped@asiae.co.kr
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Edit Kong Sumin hyunhj@asiae.co.kr
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