this post was submitted on 08 Mar 2025

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Undocumented Commands Found In Bluetooth Chip Manufactured in China Used By a Billion Devices. (www.tarlogic.com)

submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) by [email protected] to c/technology

176 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Source Link Privacy.

https://themarkup.org/blacklight?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tarlogic.com%2Fnews%2Fbackdoor-esp32-chip-infect-ot-devices%2F&device=mobile&location=us-ca&force=false

Tarlogic Security has detected a backdoor in the ESP32, a microcontroller that enables WiFi and Bluetooth connection and is present in millions of mass-market IoT devices. Exploitation of this backdoor would allow hostile actors to conduct impersonation attacks and permanently infect sensitive devices such as mobile phones, computers, smart locks or medical equipment by bypassing code audit controls.

Update: The ESP32 "backdoor" that wasn't.

(page 3) 50 comments

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[–] CosmoNova 19 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Not the first time a backdoor was found on Chinese made hardware and it won‘t be the last time. Decoupling can‘t happen quickly enough.

[–] surewhynotlem 17 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Which government's backdoors would you prefer?

"We know you have a choice in oppressive governments, so we appreciate you choosing ours."

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 day ago (6 children)

None of them, that's why the only things in my house that connect to the internet are my computers, game consoles, and cell phone

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Assuming you're not joking here, if your computers are any way modern they almost certainly have a backdoor.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Obviously, but I trust my Linux mint laptop a hell of a lot better than my aunt's XIPPLG branded wifi cat feeder that she bought off Amazon

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 day ago (1 children)

True, but the ESP32 is used by a lot of devices. This backdoor is pretty huge in scope of devices impacted.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

It depends on what the method of attack is. I'm not seeing anything saying that it would be possible to exploit wirelessly, so this could easily be mostly a non-issue.

[–] GrizzlyBear 7 points 1 day ago

I mean, most users here are browsing using a device with an AMD or Intel CPU, both with known backdoors. Not the first time a backdoor was found on American made hardware and it won't be the last.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Jokes on them, I live in America when all that shit was already being done.

[–] SpaceNoodle 9 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Is this some hardware flaw, or just something in their standard BT stack?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

I was wondering the same thing. Wasn't clear on whether these backdoors are there on purpose or because of mistakes

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

I read in another article that the identified 28 backdoor commands.

[–] mystik 6 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I have a bunch of ESP32's that ... I can update and replace the firmware on, if i reset it the right way with a usb cable. the web site doesn't explain it any way how this is any worse than that...?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago

The website is also the guy trying to sell the solution so I'm just sceptical for now

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

This can be done wirelessly, if the custom driver has been installed.

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