A relatively new handheld device is capable of crashing iPhones and Androids. The Flipper Zero can interfere with smartphones by using Bluetooth frequencies.
While the device cannot steal encrypted information from a smartphone (yet), it can flood a smartphone user with Bluetooth requests. Flipper zeroes have been shown their ability to hack smart home devices that are not secure. Benzinga says:
In an unexpected twist, iPhones across the Netherlands reportedly fell victim to a disruptive gadget, Flipper Zero, according to security researcher Jeroen van der Ham.
As per a report, Van der Ham experienced a constant flood of pop-ups on his iPhone during his commute two weeks ago. The same issue resurfaced in his afternoon commute, impacting not just his device but those of fellow passengers as well.
Luckily, there is a way to stop the attacks. Since the attack takes place over Bluetooth, disabling it will prevent further pop up spams. ZDNet reports:
Again, the only way to protect against this attack is to disable Bluetooth. Since there’s no risk — yet — of this locking up an Android device, I don’t think you need to disable Bluetooth preemptively. But if you do find popups appearing, you can then take action.
The fastest way to disable Bluetooth on an Android device is by using the Quick Settings drop-down menu, which you can access by swiping down from the menu bar twice and then tapping the Bluetooth button to turn it off.
Flipper Zeros are starting to be in the sights of governments, who could be looking at a ban. This is only the beginning of personal sized devices that can attack devices and networks.
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