Amazon Echo Flaw Allowed For Silent Eavesdropping Of Users' Conversations

[Lucian Armasu]

A flaw in Amazon Echo could have allowed malicious parties to build "skills" that silently eavesdrop on users' conversations indefinitely.

Amazon Echo Flaw Allowed For Silent Eavesdropping Of Users' Conversations : Read more

 

[kenzen22b]

It is NOT a flaw when it is a intentionally made as a government backdoor that they hoped would not be found.

 

[Brian_R170]

Is anyone actually surprised that Echo has a flaw like this?

 

[sykozis]

Is anyone actually surprised that Echo has a flaw like this?

Not in the least. I warned of this exact thing back when the Echo first launched....

 

[Gam3r01]

Except you have to willingly and actively enable one of said malicious skills in the first place.

 

[sykozis]

Except you have to willingly and actively enable one of said malicious skills in the first place.

The same is the case with a lot of malware that targets Windows systems.....

 

[Gam3r01]

Exactly, a non-issue if you have any sort of sense of "security".

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

They were designed to do this and always will.

 

[Questors]

What I don't understand is, if a stranger were hanging around your home, peaking in your windows and using listening devices and cameras/video and you knew it, you would be angry like a wounded bear. Actions would include confronting the creep in anger, physical violence, calling of police and/or shooting, clubbing or stabbing the sob, among other thing.

Yet people continue to bring these thoroughly invasive devices into their home and pay to do it.

stu·pid·i·ty
[sto?o?pid?d?]
NOUN

behavior that shows a lack of good sense or judgment.
"I can't believe my own stupidity" · [more]
synonyms: lack of intelligence · unintelligence · foolishness · denseness · brainlessness · ignorance · mindlessness · dull-wittedness · dull-headedness · dullness · slow-wittedness · doltishness · [more]
the quality of being stupid or unintelligent.
"a comedy of infantile stupidity"

 

[sykozis]

Exactly, a non-issue if you have any sort of sense of "security".

Except that you miss the simple fact that Amazon can choose to use the Echo is precisely the same way as any "malicious skill" could.... This is what the Echo was designed for. To listen in on customers. Is there any proof that Amazon isn't already doing this themselves? Or whether they have plans to at some point? Good security "sense" would include not buying such a device to start with.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Amazon and he US government work hand in hand. So this device is basically a spying tool , like many other voice oriented tech.

Wasn't a flaw and even if patched will still record and listen.