Many Bluetooth gadgets open to wireless snooping

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994041

Will Knight
11 August 03 

A new software tool could allow sensitive data could be pilfered
through the air from laptops, mobile phones and handheld computers.

An eavesdropper can use the program to identify nearby devices that
use the Bluetooth wireless protocol. If the gadget's default security
settings mean the device is unprotected, data can easily be stolen.  
Bluetooth connects devices within a range of 15 metres and is now a
standard feature on many devices.

Ollie Whitehouse, a UK-based researcher with computer security firm
@Stake, created the tool "Red Fang", to highlight the potential
dangers of running poorly configured Bluetooth gadgets. He says many
people may be unaware that they have Bluetooth installed and that
security features are often switched off.

"If you're sitting on an intercity train, you're going to have a lot
of people around for a long period of time," Whitehouse told New
Scientist. "You could try and find their Bluetooth devices and hack
into them."


War drive

In recent years, there has been an explosion in the number of people
using 802.11 wireless networks. This has led to wi-fi "wardriving", a
craze in which people try to identify poorly secured networks by
driving around with a laptop.

Whitehouse suspects the growing prevalence of Bluetooth-enabled
equipment could start another trend in wireless scanning.

"It does require you to be in relatively close proximity for an
extended period of time," Whitehouse notes. "But there's no reason why
you couldn't do a scan for Bluetooth-enabled devices on a long-haul
transatlantic flight."


User friendly

An improved version of Whitehouse's program was released at the start
of August at the US computer security conference Defcon, held in Las
Vegas. The improvements were made by Bruce Potter, a security expert
with US think-tank The Shmoo Group. They make the program more
user-friendly and allow it to scan through possible target addresses
more efficiently.

"Bluetooth security will become a real issue in the next year or two,"  
predicts Potter. "There are currently more Bluetooth radios in
existence than 802.11 radios, but most corporate security departments
don't know the first thing about Bluetooth security."

US research company Gartner estimates that around 161 million
Bluetooth-enabled devices will be sold in 2003 alone.

A Gartner report from September 2002 warned that Bluetooth's in-built
security features may not be activated by many people, potentially
leaving devices vulnerable to intrusion. The report recommended that
companies instigate Bluetooth security policies to prevent data
falling into the wrong hands.
 


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