Table of Contents
Introduction:
Flipper Zero Bluetooth Attack: A device priced at $169 has the capability to plunge your iPhone into an endless reboot loop, presenting a perplexing security challenge. The source of this issue involves a certain term that begins with “blue” and ends with “tooth.”
This device, known as Flipper Zero, primarily serves the purpose of penetration testing, a practice in which security professionals examine the wireless security of various devices. It’s not a clandestine gadget and can be conveniently purchased online for $169 in the U.S. or €165 in Europe.
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Flipper Zero Bluetooth Attack
Flipper Zero, described as a “portable multi-tool for pen testers and geeks,” possesses the ability to interact with a wide array of wireless systems, including garage door remotes, televisions, NFC readers, RFID readers, and Bluetooth-enabled devices.
Although Flipper Zero has been in existence since 2020, recent reports from Ars Technica and TechCrunch shed light on how it can be exploited to render an iPhone nonfunctional by inundating it with an incessant barrage of Bluetooth connection requests. To the iPhone user, these requests may appear as repeated attempts to connect with a television, ultimately causing the phone to reboot. While this type of attack is not entirely novel, the affordability, portability, and ease of use of Flipper Zero make it a more accessible tool for such malicious purposes.
Security researcher Jeroen van der Ham confirmed experiencing this attack and subsequently attempted to replicate it under controlled conditions. He succeeded in crashing an iPhone, although the attack worked most effectively on iPhones running iOS 17 or later.
The challenge lies in the fact that these types of requests cannot be permanently denied on an iPhone. While you can decline the connection, the requests will persistently reappear. The only viable option at this juncture is to disable Bluetooth entirely, but this comes with the drawback of disconnecting your wireless headphones and other Bluetooth accessories from your iPhone, which is hardly a desirable solution. It’s worth noting that disabling Bluetooth through the Control Center is insufficient; you must access your phone’s Settings to fully mitigate the attack. Van der Ham reached out to Apple regarding the issue but received no response from the company.
There are reports suggesting that Flipper Zero can potentially carry out similar attacks on other devices, such as Android phones and Windows devices, although it remains unclear whether it can cause them to crash. Notably, Android phones offer the option to disable notifications for Bluetooth connection requests, making the situation less of a hassle.
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