Hacking Internet Connected Light Bulbs 63
An anonymous reader writes We've been calling it for years — connect everything in your house to the internet, and people will find a way to attack it. This post provides a technical walkthrough of how internet-connected lighting systems are vulnerable to outside attacks. Quoting: "With the Contiki installed Raven network interface we were in a position to monitor and inject network traffic into the LIFX mesh network. The protocol observed appeared to be, in the most part, unencrypted. This allowed us to easily dissect the protocol, craft messages to control the light bulbs and replay arbitrary packet payloads. ... Monitoring packets captured from the mesh network whilst adding new bulbs, we were able to identify the specific packets in which the WiFi network credentials were shared among the bulbs. The on-boarding process consists of the master bulb broadcasting for new bulbs on the network. A new bulb responds to the master and then requests the WiFi details to be transferred. The master bulb then broadcasts the WiFi details, encrypted, across the mesh network. The new bulb is then added to the list of available bulbs in the LIFX smart phone application."
Borg Home (Score:2)
Just don't do it.
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I get that large industrial/office complexes might want to automate/regulate lighting, but why would you want to do this for your home?
Looks like overkill to me.
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I get why I'd want to do it at home, but not why I'd pay someone else to do it. You can get arduinos or whatever around ten bucks, if you're willing to deadbug or make your own boards by one method or another you can do your own automation for pennies on the dollar. And I'd rather use a serial loop than ethernet anyway. sure, I wouldn't implement any security either, but the obscurity of a custom system that's just not on an ethernet would discourage casual attackers, which is about all I would reasonably e
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I'm not sure how you're going to create an asthetically pleasing multi color 1,000 lumen LED that fits in a standrard lamp using a $10 controller. Plus create an app or web interface to control timing/dimming/color. If you figure it out, please post the details as I'm sure lots of folk would love to take on that project.
In the meantime, I'm thinking these look pretty neat if a little expensive since I think you'd need quite a few
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I'm not sure how you're going to create an asthetically pleasing multi color 1,000 lumen LED that fits in a standrard lamp using a $10 controller.
I'm talking about the automation, not the lighting itself. And I don't care if it fits into a standard lamp if I make the modifications myself
In the meantime, I'm thinking these look pretty neat if a little expensive
They're a lot expensive. And insecure.
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Re: Borg Home (Score:1)
Re:Borg Home (Score:5, Insightful)
(disclosure: I own LIFX lightbulbs, and wrote an app that controls them)
"Smart-home" stuff is, currently, mostly toys - you have them for doing stuff that you largely don't need to do.
Some Smart-home stuff is able to go beyond the toy-stage, like intelligent control of heating, remote monitoring etc, where they can serve specific, valuable purposes.
Intelligent lightbulbs? Mine are able to entertain the kids for 20 minutes (let them go amok with the app), while I worked on making my phone advice me of SMSes and emails via a brief colour-change to a bulb; this is still in the toys-stage, but slowly starts serving a purpose.
So, in view of you stating it is overkill, I'd ask whether saving on your heating bill is overkill, or whether having fun with setting lighting-levels and -colours is overkill? :)
Naturally, the answer depends on your values in life
Note: My latest suggestion for use of Smart-home equipment was to mix a LIFX lightbulb with a Doorbot (doorbell with camera and wifi), to alert a deaf person of the doorbell being used, by sending visual cues via the lightbulbs (specific colour-change).
Reasons why I don't like the Internet of Things. (Score:1, Funny)
Here's a list of reasons why I don't like the Internet of Things:
1) Internet of Things devices could watch me while I sleep.
2) Internet of Things devices could watch me while I pee.
3) Internet of Things devices could watch me while I make kaka.
4) Internet of Things devices could watch me while I pleasure myself.
5) Internet of Things devices could watch me while I wash my body in the shower.
6) Internet of Things devices could watch me while I relax in the tub.
7) Internet of Things devices could watch me whil
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The way it works is that they bundle a cool app to go with the product, which needs some server-side work to process your data.
This creates them a nice trojan horse to carry your data to be datamined.
If the app is convenient enough to use, it quickly trumps most people's concerns of privacy.
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data unsuspectingly collected about me while I listen to the Backstreet Boys.
Your list all seemed like normal stuff until I got to that one.
Now I see what you have to hide. You should be ashamed.
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type the same phrase over and over, but could have copy/pasted if i really understood the internet of things.
Re:Reasons why I don't like the Internet of Things (Score:4, Insightful)
#1 - You're not that interesting.
#2 - Connected devices can have interesting power management solutions. It's not just adjusting the home temperature when it figures out no one's going to be home for 8 hours. What about adjusting when the fridge uses the most power during times when electricity is the cheapest? Or sending you a text message if the motion detectors go off but your car is not in the driveway/garage? Or have lights go on just after dusk (regardless of time of year) and go out at a random time between 10 and 11pm (unless motion suggests people are home)?
The upfront cost of these devices are a bit more. To be absorbed by early adopters, of course. But when the prices come down and the kinks straightened out, they can be quite useful.
OnTopic: My neighbor showed me the app he had on his phone to monitor his pool. It allowed him to monitor temperature, pH, turn the filter and heater on, etc. The installer gave it a default 4 digit passcode, which was apparently the same four digit passcode that every other installation had. Since the ID number of the pool was adjustable, my neighbor joked that he would sometimes log into random people's pools and flash their pool lights (and had others do it to him as well). Fortunately no one's raised the pool temperature to 90 degrees or something like that (yet).
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I'm being very specific here - I'm referring to internet controlled home lighting. If all I care about is switching on/off lights, it is overkill.
I can't say I'm too hot ('scuse the pun) on remote controlled heating either; I'd need to see significant savings before I was tempted to invest in that.
Of course, if this is all about having fun while engaging in a home project, that's another story altogether.
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It's sad that we are a long way behind on home automation in the west. The Japanese have had this stuff for years now, and it works well.
For example many air conditioning units can be linked via wifi for remove control. When you are 5 minutes from home your phone notifies the air-con to turn on max and be ready for your arrival, at which point it can turn right down to avoid giving you the chills. The air-con itself has a sensor that makes sure it directs cold air away from you when you are in the room.
You
Re:Borg Home (Score:4, Interesting)
(disclosure: I own LIFX lightbulbs, and wrote an app that controls them)
"Smart-home" stuff is, currently, mostly toys - you have them for doing stuff that you largely don't need to do.
Some Smart-home stuff is able to go beyond the toy-stage, like intelligent control of heating, remote monitoring etc, where they can serve specific, valuable purposes.
As for "intelligent" lightbulbs? Mine are able to entertain the kids for 20 minutes (let them go amok with the app), while I worked on making my phone advice me of SMSes and emails via a brief colour-change to a bulb; this is still in the toys-stage, but slowly starts serving a purpose.
So, in view of you stating it is overkill, I'd ask whether saving on your heating bill is overkill, or whether having fun with setting lighting-levels and -colours is overkill? :)
Naturally, the answer depends on your values in life
Note: My latest suggestion for use of Smart-home equipment was to mix a LIFX lightbulb with a Doorbot (doorbell with camera and wifi), to alert a deaf person of the doorbell being used, by sending visual cues via the lightbulbs (specific colour-change).
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Sounds like this sort of thing could be useful in the Deaf community - have the lighting flash different colors for various alarms and notifications.
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while he sits in his mother's basement watching me as a wash my groin in the shower.
People actually wash their groins?
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While I presume the parent is meant to be some sort of satire, it's interesting that throughout history, slaves and then servants have generally been accepted in all these locations doing the same looking and listening. And the slaves/servants talked to each other -- they just didn't talk that much to the upper class, so what they said wasn't considered an issue.
What we're doing here is making our electronics replace those people, which is a good thing. The bad thing is that while we accept the devices in
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"Just do it." --Nike Borgs
Re: Borg Home (Score:1)
Dodged a bullet! (Score:1)
Imagine if Pinky and the Brain had possessed such capabilities! They could not have been stopped. [youtube.com]
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data signal between them depends on the quality of the electrical wiring itself. On top of that, improper wiring and circuit breakers can also negatively affect the performance.
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The bulbs don't have to be on the same circuit, or technically, even in the same house.
Really? (Score:1)
At least they didn't have to drill a hole through the roof.
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1. offer some snazy new product that really isn't better than the current product
2. suck up data about the user under the guise of new cool tech features
3. ?????????????????????
4. PROFIT from the data
the key here is grabbing your data. having the ability to turn your lights on over the internet or change your home's temperature or some other useless feature for crazy OCD mental people who need total control over everything is just a cover to get hands on data about you
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I would not want some advertising company to watch me while I'm in the shower, or while I'm urinating or defecating.
Then don't mount a security camera in your bathroom.
Unless you have a legally defensible reason for doing so, such as the care of a physically frail parent or grandparent.
I just read my neighbors sensors for now. (Score:2, Interesting)
No need to mess with anybody. Just read temperature sensors with home-brew receiver. It now scans the entire range and decodes multiple models of sensors. Most of the 433MHz sensors are extremely easy to decode... I see no reason why they shouldn't be. Would suck if they encrypted them. The power outlet control devices though.... why would you not encrypt that? I was able to start controlling my own 110v devices with custom receiver/transmitter in about 1 day of hacking no problem. . Should be e
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Err - you're vastly missing the point.
Take a wifi antenna with moderate gain.
Now, wave it around.
If you're within 200m or so of one of these light-bulb networks, you can pretend to be a new bulb, and request the wifi login details.
You now simply tell the master bulb that you're the master bulb now, and should do all the wifi stuff (just to make very sure that no alarm bells go off).
Now, you fire up your wifi, with the MAC set to the old master bulbs MAC, and now simply login to the AP with the credentials y
Relay Based Electric Lights (Score:1)
I recall visiting a house in the 1950s that had all the light switchs connected to a relay bank in the basement. (low voltage to the switches). This meant for example that you could push the right switch and turn every light in the house on at once. Of course this had to be done when the house was being built. The home was owned by a GE employee. Here is a link to parts for that kind of system: http://www.kyleswitchplates.com/ge-low-voltage-relays-transformers/
So all you have really done is changed from ded
Big Bang Theory (Score:1)
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Re:Nonsense (Score:5, Informative)
No need to crack WPA, just hop into the mesh network, announce that you're a lightbulb, and the keys are handed to you.
So, your lights, thermostat, lawn-watering controller, swimming pool monitor, and eventually your TV and your refrigerator become attack surfaces that roll over just by looking at them and saying "please".
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I'm not saying that these things must be insecure, just that most of them currently are insecure.