Critical Bluetooth security flaw impacts multiple systems - Google, Apple and Linux devices
Take action: This is a protocol level problem. You can't do too much to mitigate the risk unless and until the vendor issues a patch. Fortunately the exploit requires physical proximity, so your best mitigation is to limit the use of Bluetooth to trusted spaces only. Also, be VERY diligent about applying patches to your devices to get the eventual protocol level patch.
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The discovery of vulnerabilities in Bluetooth technology are raising the alarm on usage of Bluetooth - especially in public. The series of attacks, commonly named named 'BLUFFS' are impacting a wide range of devices like iPhones, Android smartphones, Macs, and others.
BLUFFS exploits two previously unknown flaws in the Bluetooth standard related to session key derivation, which are architectural in nature, affecting Bluetooth at a fundamental level. These vulnerabilities, tracked as CVE-2023-24023, impact Bluetooth Core Specification versions 4.2 through 5.4, potentially affecting billions of devices.
BLUFFS attacks exploit flaws in the session key derivation process to derive a short, predictable session key, enabling attackers to decrypt or manipulate communications.
Executing BLUFFS requires the attacker to be within Bluetooth range, impersonate one of the communicating parties, and negotiate a weak session key. The researchers have developed a toolkit demonstrating BLUFFS' effectiveness, available on GitHub.
Bluetooth SIG, the organization overseeing Bluetooth standards, has been informed and suggests implementations reject connections with low key strengths, use higher encryption strength levels, and operate in 'Secure Connections Only' mode for pairing. Google, Apple, and variants of Linux have released patches for some affected devices, though others remain vulnerable.
