www.techspot.com Open in urlscan Pro
151.139.128.10  Public Scan

Form analysis
3 forms found in the DOM

/search/

<form class="search_form" action="/search/" id="cse-search-box-header">
  <input type="hidden" name="cx" value="partner-pub-7395890353660701:j5claj-6kfy">
  <input type="hidden" name="cof" value="FORID:11">
  <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="UTF-8">
</form>

POST https://www.techspot.com/products/

<form action="https://www.techspot.com/products/" method="POST" id="form_search" autocomplete="off">
  <div class="pfmenuSideTitle">Search</div>
  <input class="ProdSearch" name="productsearch" id="productsearch" type="text" placeholder="Search product reviews, pros &amp; cons, pricing">
</form>

POST //app.mailerlite.com/webforms/submit/v3t1x0

<form class="ml-block-form" action="//app.mailerlite.com/webforms/submit/v3t1x0" data-id="492661" data-code="v3t1x0" method="POST" rel="noopener" target="_blank" autocomplete="off">
  <div class="footitle"><label for="tsnlemail">Subscribe to the TechSpot Newsletter</label></div>
  <div class="form-email">
    <input type="email" id="tsnlemail" name="fields[email]" class="form-control email" placeholder="email address" value="" autocomplete="off" data-lpignore="true" spellcheck="false" autocapitalize="off">
  </div>
  <div class="form-submit">
    <input type="hidden" name="ml-submit" value="1">
    <input type="submit" value="Subscribe" name="subscribe">
  </div>
</form>

Text Content

WE VALUE YOUR PRIVACY

We and our partners store and/or access information on a device, such as cookies
and process personal data, such as unique identifiers and standard information
sent by a device for personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement,
and audience insights, as well as to develop and improve products. With your
permission we and our partners may use precise geolocation data and
identification through device scanning. You may click to consent to our and our
partners’ processing as described above. Alternatively you may access more
detailed information and change your preferences before consenting or to refuse
consenting. Please note that some processing of your personal data may not
require your consent, but you have a right to object to such processing. Your
preferences will apply to this website only. You can change your preferences at
any time by returning to this site or visit our privacy policy.
MORE OPTIONSAGREE
 * User loginUser iconLogin
 * 
 * SearchA search icon
   

TechSpot logoThe word TechSpot

 * Trending
    * Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti
    * 5800X3D vs. Ryzen 7600X
    * Stable Diffusion How-To
    * 7900 XTX vs RTX 4080
    * PC Buying Guide

 * Features
    * Tech Culture
    * Must Reads
    * Hardware
    * Software
    * Gaming
    * Explainers
    * Tips & Tricks

 * Reviews
    * CPU
    * Graphics Cards
    * Laptops
    * Storage
    * Monitors
    * More Reviews

 * The Best
    * Best CPUs
    * Best Graphics Cards
    * Best Monitors
    * Best Software
    * Best SSD
    * Best PC Speakers

 * Downloads
    * Latest Updates
    * Popular Apps
    * Software We Recommend
    * Drivers

 * Product Finder
   Search
 * Forums
    * Join TechSpot Elite
    * New Posts
    * Latest Comments

 * Jobs



 * Security
 * Electronics
 * hacking
 * voice assistant


NEW ULTRASONIC ATTACKS CAN ISSUE MALICIOUS COMMANDS TO VOICE ASSISTANTS AND
SMART HOME DEVICES


NUIT-1 AND NUIT-2 PROVIDE A PATH FOR SILENT ATTACKS AGAINST SMART SPEAKERS

By Alfonso Maruccia April 5, 2023 at 1:56 PM
TechSpot is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary. TechSpot means tech
analysis and advice you can trust.

What just happened? Voice assistants and smart devices have a known
vulnerability against ultrasound-based attacks. Researchers have now developed
two new ultrasonic exploits that could put millions of devices at risk. Unheard
commands can be sent during teleconferencing or in-person.

Researchers from the University of Texas, San Antonio, and the University of
Colorado have developed new ultrasound attacks dubbed NUIT, or Near-Ultrasound
Inaudible Trojan, which can exploit vulnerabilities in microphone-equipped IoT
devices and voice assistants such as Apple Siri, Google Assistant, and Microsoft
Cortana. The attacks are inaudible to humans, yet they can effectively turn
smart devices into potentially malicious appliances.

The researchers plan to unveil the new attacks publicly during the upcoming 32nd
USENIX Security Symposium, August 9-11, in Anaheim, California. The research
team provided a preview demonstration to The Register, showing two separate
attacks--NUIT-1 and NUIT-2.

The first sends near-ultrasound signals to a smart speaker to compromise the
microphone and voice assistant on the same device. The second exploits a
victim's speaker to attack the microphone and voice assistant on a different
device.

The NUIT attacks work by modulating voice commands into near-ultrasonic signals,
which the human ear cannot detect, but voice assistants can. The instructions
modulated in NUIT-1 are extremely fast, lasting under 77 milliseconds. That
period is the average reaction time for the four voice assistants installed in
the multiple devices tested by US researchers.



The researchers tested NUIT-1 as an "end-to-end silent" attack. Siri turned out
to be fully vulnerable to NUIT-1. The researchers could control an iPhone's
volume with a silent, sub-77 ms instruction ("speak six percent") to lower the
smartphone's volume to 6%. A second silent instruction ("open the door") allowed
them to use Siri to open the victim's front door via Apple's Home app.

The NUIT-2 attack sends embedded ultrasonic signals via a teleconference like a
Zoom meeting. This vector allows hackers to exploit a nearby phone remotely. The
NUIT-2 attacks don't have the 77ms time window, enabling researchers to try more
complex commands.

The researchers tested both attacks against 17 different devices, including
several iPhone models, a 2021 MacBook Pro, a 2017 MacBook Air, a Dell Inspiron
15 system, Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets, first-gen Amazon Echo Dot, Apple
Watch 3, Google Pixel 3, Google Home, and more. They achieved different levels
of success with both silent and audible responses from the compromised devices.

The iPhone 6 Plus was the only device that turned out to be invulnerable to both
NUIT-1 and NUIT-2. The researchers explained this was because the 2014 device
likely uses a low-gain amplifier while newer iPhones use high-gain. Another
relevant issue discovered by the team is that NUIT-1 exploit only works if the
distance between the device's speaker and microphone isn't too wide.

The researchers said that users should avoid purchasing devices designed with
the speaker and mic close together to avoid becoming victims of NUIT-1 or NUIT-2
attacks. Using earphones effectively mitigates the exploits since the sound
signals are too quiet to register on the microphone. Enabling voice
authentication on personal assistant devices (where possible) will limit
unauthorized usage. Furthermore, device manufacturers could end the entire
category of ultrasound attacks by developing new tools to recognize (and reject)
inaudible commands embedded in near-ultrasonic frequencies.

3 comments 15 likes and shares
Share this article:






FIND YOUR DREAM TECH JOB

iOS Software Engineer, TikTok Live Revenue
TikTok - Sydney
Growth Product Manager
Adobe - San Jose
PowerBI – SQL Developer
Purple Drive Technologies - Armonk
J.P. Morgan Wealth Management - Private Client Advisor - Hollywood Hills Market
- Beverly Hills, CA (including Los Angeles/ Burbank/ Hollywood/ West Hollywood/
North Hollywood)
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. - Beverly Hills


RELATED STORIES

 * Teen hacker arrested in Spain following daring cyberattacks
 * GM plans to develop an Azure-powered in-car AI assistant
 * Tax return website eFile.com hacked with malware-spreading scripts
 * Who created Siri?




FEATURED ON TECHSPOT

 * Tile anti-theft mode makes trackers undetectable, threatens $1 million fine
   if used for stalking
 * Under new guidelines, Android apps must let users easily delete accounts and
   data



Most Read
 * 28 comments
   
   AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT vs. Radeon RX 6800 XT
 * 46 comments
   
   The Last of Us Part I GPU Benchmark
 * 42 comments
   
   AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Review: Gaming Efficiency FTW!
 * 46 comments
   
   Bank stops handling cash in some branches as more people go digital



Load Comments 3
...
User Comments: 3
Got something to say? Post a comment

Load all comments...
Discuss

 * Recently commented stories
 * Jump to forum mode


Add your comment to this article
Create your free account to leave a comment. Join thousands of tech enthusiasts
and participate.
TechSpot Account
Sign up for free, it takes 30 seconds.
Already have an account? Login now.

Main Sections
 * Tech News
 * Features
 * Reviews
 * The Best
 * Downloads
 * Product Finder
 * Tech Jobs

Popular Features
 * How to Run Stable Diffusion
 * Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Review
 * 5800X3D vs. Ryzen 7600X
 * AMD Radeon 7900 XTX Review
 * Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Review
 * Top 10 Hacks for Microsoft Excel
 * microSD and SD Card Buying Guide

Top Downloads
 * Cinebench
 * Windows Installation Tool
 * DS4Windows
 * iTunes Download
 * Java JDK
 * Minecraft Download
 * Fortnite Download

Subscribe to the TechSpot Newsletter


Follow TechSpot
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 



TECHSPOT : Tech Enthusiasts, Power Users, Gamers

TechSpot is a registered trademark. About Us Ethics Statement Terms of Use
Privacy Policy Change Ad Consent Advertise

© 2023 TechSpot, Inc. All Rights Reserved.