In recent months, several cases of hacking they involved the Ecovacs Deebot X2 robot vacuum cleaner in the United States, leaving owners shocked and concerned about the safety of their home devices. These robots, known for their ability to clean autonomously, have been targeted by hackers who have took control of the machinescausing bizarre and sometimes frightening behavior.
One of the victims, a Minnesota resident, said his robot started to transmit fragments of voices similar to radio signals through the speaker. After a reset attempt, the situation got worse: the vacuum cleaner started making emissions racist insults in a repetitive manner, an event that left the owner in shock.
But this was not an isolated incident. In California, another robot vacuum cleaner chased the owners’ dog around the houseemitting screams that terrified the animal, while in El Paso, Texas, a device began to insulting the owners in the middle of the night.
Once they gain control, they can manipulate the robots’ camera and microphone
These episodes brought to light security flaws in control systems of some models of robot vacuum cleaners, in particular those produced by Ecovacs. Hackers managed to take control of devices through Bluetooth, exploiting a vulnerability that allows them to access up to one hundred meters away.
Once they gain control, hackers can manipulate the robots camera and microphonespying on household activities and interacting in disturbing ways with the owners. Although Ecovacs has acknowledged the problem and said it has investigated the incidents, the measures taken so far do not appear to be sufficient.
Security experts warned the company months earlier, but the reported flaws were not fully resolved. A security update is expected in November 2024but many users remain concerned that hackers may continue to exploit these vulnerabilities until then.
These attacks can only raise further questions about the security of connected smart devices and how vulnerable they may be to cyberattacks. To protect themselves from this, people who use robot vacuum cleaners have been advised to change your passwords regularly and to consider using stronger security measures to protect their privacy and home security.
