A new hack can turn an Echo into a live microphone

[Davidc]

Hackers have figured out how to turn an Amazon Echo into a live microphone. First reported by Wired, the attack requires physical access to the device, is limited to pre-2017 Echoes, and would be difficult to deploy at scale. But when successful, it would allow hackers to pull a live feed of all audio within range of the device, even if the wake word hasn’t been said. The method could also allow hackers to remotely retrieve authentication tokens and other sensitive data from the device.

https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/1/16079044/amazon-echo-hack-microphone-listen-in-mark-barnes

 

[nodle]

Geez did no one see it coming. It's just another CIA listening device with built in backdoors. They just market it for mass use and then get inside your home and listen for keywords etc. Even when it's turned off.

 

[Davidc]

It helps them when they are building their lists. The red and blue list. 

 

[ndboarder]

Not sure why anyone would find this surprising.  Found a way to listen without the 'wake word' being spoken.  If a "wake word" can be said to turn something on, that means it is always listening.  The software on the device has to just have an event handler that is triggered whenever the microphone picks up sound, it just checks for whether the wake word was spoken and if so would then continue to parse the rest of what was spoken.  So how easy is it to get your own hooks into the thing is the only question, the fact it always listens should be common sense.

For you tinfoil hat peoples, that event handler of course could just be letting users know it does somethign in cases the wake word is spoken - and could still do whatever it wanted with what it is hearing and not sending any out put to the speaker or light ring.