Researchers at Eurecom have developed six new attacks collectively named ‘BLUFFS’ that can break the secrecy of Bluetooth sessions, allowing for device impersonation and man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks, writes Bleeping Computer*.
Daniele Antonioli, who discovered the attacks, explains that BLUFFS exploits two previously unknown flaws in the Bluetooth standard related to how session keys are derived to decrypt data in exchange.
These flaws are not specific to hardware or software configurations but are architectural instead, meaning they affect Bluetooth at a fundamental level. Considering the widespread use of the well-established wireless communication standard and the versions impacted by the exploits, BLUFFS could work against billions of devices, including laptops, smartphones, and other mobile devices.
BLUFFS stands out from other Bluetooth vulnerabilities because it doesn’t depend on certain hardware or software configurations. What makes it unique is that it takes advantage of two new architectural weaknesses found in the
Bluetooth standards which are linked to the way session keys are created for encrypting data. This approach is different from typical vulnerabilities that usually require specific system configurations. And as it affects the majority of Bluetooth versions, including up to the very latest, this means that a significant number of the world’s devices are currently vulnerable. Although difficult to mitigate from this attack until a proper update is sent out, enforcing the use of Secure Connections mode if possible when pairing and turning Bluetooth off when not required will help if needed.
by Jake Moore, ESET
*ESET does not bear any responsibility for the accuracy of this information.
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