"Released late last week at the What the Hack computer security conference in Liempde, Netherlands, Car Whisperer is software that tricks the hands-free Bluetooth systems installed in some cars into connecting with a Linux computer. Car Whisperer was developed by a group of European wireless security experts, called the Trifinite Group, as a way of illustrating the shortcomings of some Bluetooth systems, said Martin Herfurt, an independent security consultant based in Salzburg, Austria, and a founder of Trifinite.
Using a special directional antenna that allowed him to extend the normally short range of his Bluetooth connections to about a mile, Herfurt was able to listen and send audio to about 10 cars over a one-hour period recently.
"I could hear voices from cars passing by," he said. "If I had been following the car, I would have been able to eavesdrop for a longer time."
Though some Bluetooth users may be shocked to learn that everything they say during their next car ride could be overheard, blame for the problem lies squarely with the Bluetooth system manufacturers, not with Bluetooth itself, Herfut said. "Manufacturers are doing something wrong with this. Bluetooth is a very good thing, once everything is correct."
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Using a special directional antenna that allowed him to extend the normally short range of his Bluetooth connections to about a mile, Herfurt was able to listen and send audio to about 10 cars over a one-hour period recently.
"I could hear voices from cars passing by," he said. "If I had been following the car, I would have been able to eavesdrop for a longer time."
Though some Bluetooth users may be shocked to learn that everything they say during their next car ride could be overheard, blame for the problem lies squarely with the Bluetooth system manufacturers, not with Bluetooth itself, Herfut said. "Manufacturers are doing something wrong with this. Bluetooth is a very good thing, once everything is correct."
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