It seems Vtech is n’t the only toy companyplaying it fast and loosewith youngster ’s privacy . Security researchershave discoveredmyriad security flaws that make Mattel ’s Hello Barbie machine-accessible dame hackable .
When Hello Barbie was introduced earlier this yr , the doll ’s connected technologycame under scrutiny from parents and protagonism groupsconcerned about data point surety and seclusion . The doll has a build - in mike that allows it to hear to a nestling ’s question , which are then answered from a coin bank of possible reaction managed by a swarm - ground system . The whole thing works a bit like Siri . The creepiest thing is that over prison term , the doll learns about a chil ’s tastes and preferences , and adjusts its response accordingly . Parents were intelligibly implicated about what Barbie might be saying to and learning about their kidskin .
At the clip , Mattel and the companionship behind the tech , ToyTalk , denied that the data would every be used in any manner people would retrieve objectionable — they would n’t pollute the minds of waxy child with advertising or defective ideas . Well , it turn out that the really threat come not from Mattel or ToyTalk , but from malicious parties who can easily clear access to and replace the skirt ’s mind .
Anew report release todayby researchers at security firm Bluebox Labs give away problems with both the Hello Barbie mobile app , as well as with the style the app communicates to ToyTalk ’s server in the cloud . Most egregiously , ToyTalk used outmoded encoding engineering that ’s known to be vulnerable .
MotherboarddescribedBluebox Lab ’s finding :
This new news report prove that hacker could have intercepted the encrypted data sent between the doll and the servers of its Divine ToyTalk . And owing to the fact the server was vulnerable to a well - know exploit to downgrade and happy chance web encryption , love as the POODLE flack , the hacker could have effectively accessed and listen to children ’s recordings .
Bluebox Labs reported the vulnerabilities last calendar month , and the ToyTalk has reportedly patched the problems .
Last week , NBC reportedthe work of research worker Matt Jakubowski who was capable to chop Hello Barbie ’s operating system when it was connected to wireless fidelity , reserve him complete memory access private information store within . In the theme he concludes that if the vulnerability of Hello Barbie are n’t patch , it ’s only a affair of time before hackers can replace Hello Barbie ’s cloud - based wit with another .
In a affirmation ToyTalk CTO Matt Reddy told Gizmodo :
We have been working with Bluebox and apprize their responsible for Disclosure of issue with respect to Hello Barbie . We are grateful that they inform us of relevant certificate vulnerabilities , which have been addressed .
As of right now there ’s no evidence that Hello Barbie ’s vulnerabilities have actually been exploited . Still , these reports , copulate with the huge breach of Vtech ’s servers , underscores the fact that though ship’s company are anxious to trade you connected toys for your kid , they ’re not accept security seriously enough .
[ Bluebox Labs , Motherboard , The Guardian , NBC ]
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