![BluetoothLogo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/BluetoothLogo.svg)
Bluebugging is a form of
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...
attack often caused by a lack of awareness. It was developed after the onset of
bluejacking
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Bluejacking is the sending of unsolicited messages over Bluetooth to Bluetooth-enabled devices such as mobile phones, PDAs or laptop computers, sending a vCard which typically contains a message in the name field (i.e., for bluedatin ...
and
bluesnarfing
Bluesnarfing is the unauthorized access of information from a wireless device through a Bluetooth connection, often between phones, desktops, laptops, and PDAs (personal digital assistant). This allows access to calendars, contact lists, emails ...
. Similar to bluesnarfing, bluebugging accesses and uses all phone features
but is limited by the transmitting power of class 2 Bluetooth radios, normally capping its range at 10–15 meters. However, the operational range can be increased with the use of a
directional antenna
A directional antenna or beam antenna is an antenna which radiates or receives greater power in specific directions allowing increased performance and reduced interference from unwanted sources. Directional antennas provide increased performance ...
.
History
Bluebugging was developed by the German researcher Martin Herfurt in 2004, one year after the advent of bluejacking.
Initially a threat against laptops with Bluetooth capability,
"Buffer Overrun in Toshiba Bluetooth Stack for Windows"
''Seclists.org''; retrieved 3 April 2011 it later targeted mobile phones and PDAs.
Bluebugging manipulates a target phone into compromising its security, this to create a backdoor attack before returning control of the phone to its owner. Once control of a phone has been established, it is used to call back the hacker who is then able to listen in to conversations, hence the name "bugging". The Bluebug program also has the capability to create a call forwarding application whereby the hacker receives calls intended for the target phone.
A further development of Bluebugging has allowed for the control of target phones through Bluetooth phone headsets, It achieves this by pretending to be the headset and thereby "tricking" the phone into obeying call commands. Not only can a hacker receive calls intended for the target phone, he can send messages, read phonebooks, and examine calendars.
See also
* IEEE 802.15 IEEE 802.15 is a working group of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) IEEE 802 standards committee which specifies wireless personal area network (WPAN) standards. There are 10 major areas of development, not all of which ar ...
* Near-field communication
Near-field communication (NFC) is a set of communication protocols that enables communication between two electronic devices over a distance of 4 cm (1 in) or less. NFC offers a low-speed connection through a simple setup that can be u ...
* Personal area network
A personal area network (PAN) is a computer network for interconnecting electronic devices within an individual person's workspace. A PAN provides data transmission among devices such as computers, smartphones, tablets and personal digital assi ...
References
External links
Bluetooth Special Interest Group Site (includes specifications)
Official Bluetooth site aimed at users
Bluetooth/Ethernet Vendor MAC Address Lookup
Bluebugging Video and description
{{Authority control
Bluetooth
Hacking (computer security)