That Toy You Got for Christmas Could Be Spying on You

2021-12-28 16:31

Many adults found it charming when Mattel upgraded its classic Fisher-Price Chatter telephone for its 60th anniversary in October with actual Bluetooth capabilities, so grownups, too, can use it - and for actual mobile phone calls.

The bug in Fisher-Price Chatter with Bluetooth is similar to a problem with a children's toy called My Friend Cayla - which is both a child's doll and a Bluetooth headset - that a researchers from Pen Test Partners also identified.

Chatter's Bluetooth issue makes it a bit more difficult for an attacker to access in that the audio is not enabled until someone lifts the handset or presses the speakerphone button, researchers said.

People who have the Bluetooth version of Chatter should ensure it is powered off when not explicitly in use, and parents should supervise their child's use of the phone.

Since only one Bluetooth phone can connect to the Chatter telephone at a time, an attacker can't connect a rogue phone if a legitimate phone is connected.

People should not leave the Chatter telephone powered on if they leave their home with the smartphone that is connected to the Chatter telephone, researchers advised.

News URL

https://threatpost.com/toy-christmas-spying/177288/