This case has happened in Spain, specifically to the family of Carlos de la Parra, since both he and his family have been able to verify how third parties hack each of the devices they have in their home. From Bluetooth speakers to your mobile phones. And that’s not all, since they have also gained access to their WhatsApp accounts.
For this very reason, we are going to see your case and we are going to analyze which are the devices that can be controlled remotely by cybercriminals if we are not careful. In addition, we are going to see what is the key factor with which they can achieve it.
The danger of home automation
Although this user affirms that his house is not home automation, the truth is that there are some examples that he has shown, even with visual evidence, since he has recorded it on video, which could make it clear that it is. For example, this victim claims that the hacker was able to remotely turn on the cooktop in his kitchen. For this, the vitro would have to be connected to the Internet.
And, as we said before, the key aspect here is the Internet connection. In this way, these cybercriminals have the possibility of controlling other devices, in addition to having access to the router of this victim. For this reason, they are able to control the WiFi connection, the speakers or if they wanted to, other devices such as a Smart TV, lights or plugs, etc.
However, Bluetooth also comes into play, since they can also be connected to devices with this wireless connection through this technology. In this way, hackers can connect to Bluetooth speakers and transmit any type of sound. To achieve this, they could have used techniques such as: BlueBorne, Bluesnarfing, Bluejacking, Bluetooth Spoofing Attacks (BIAS) or BlueBugging.
And then how can they cut off the light? In this case, the fact that they can cut off the light is because they have access to the meters. In this way, they manage to make a short and goodbye. In addition, lowering the leads is feasible, since there are systems that help us to remotely control this through WiFi. So you can lower the leads or even close the gas tap. But, for this, you need to install a particular device or system.
But, what is clear is that, if the electrical appliances do not have the possibility of connecting to a WiFi network, the truth is that it is very unlikely that someone will be able to control them remotely. However, there is a possibility that they are using a Flipper Zero. If so, they can remotely control other devices such as an air conditioner, a television or other playback systems.
More than anything, because this tamagochi for hackers can interact with digital systems, access control systems, RFID, radio protocols or even hack different types of hardware (such as car keys). For this reason, as the victims affirm, the functions of the air conditioning in their home may have changed in this way, even if they do not have a WiFi connection.
Access to your private accounts
Another of the problems that this family has had to face is the fact that people have managed to access their accounts, be it WhatsApp, Wallapop or even Carlos’s Microsoft Teams chat that he uses in his company. To do this, they may have had access to the information necessary to enter these accounts once other devices have been hacked, in this case, their mobile phones.
Also, keep in mind that there are many methods for this. Therefore, if this cybercriminal has notions on the subject, he could have used any of these techniques to illegally enter the personal accounts of this family and be able to send messages, steal sensitive data, obtain contacts…
