Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    Segway Hoverboard Hacking Demonstrates IoT Security Risks

    By
    Sean Michael Kerner
    -
    July 19, 2017
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      IOactive Hoverboard

      Riding a hoverboard requires a certain amount of balance, but no amount of physical dexterity will help a rider whose hoverboard has been taken over by hackers. Security firm IOActive today publicly issued an advisory on multiple vulnerabilities it found in Segway/Ninebot MiniPRO hoverboards, ahead of a talk that is scheduled at the Black Hat USA conference on July 26.

      The vulnerabilities include the ability to deliver and install an unauthorized firmware update to the hoverboard, as well as the ability to control the hoverboard without proper authentication or Bluetooth PIN authentication. If hacked, an attacker could take over a hoverboard while a rider is still on it.

      IOActive Embedded Devices Security Consultant Thomas Kilbride conducted the research and first contacted Segway in December 2016. Segway responded to Kilbride and issued a security update in April 2017 addressing some of the critical issues. 

      Kilbride is no stranger to hoverboard technology; prior to working at IOActive, he was employed by Mark Cuban Companies as an embedded systems engineer working on hoverboards.

      “The Segway hoverboards are connected devices with a Bluetooth radio, which makes them unique and also a juicy target,” Kilbride said. “Not many other hoverboards on the market have the same degree of connectability.”

      The mobile app for the Segway/Ninebot MiniPRO hoverboard provides a number of remote access capabilities, including direction control and the ability to stop the device.

      “Initially I just started by looking at the communication between the mobile app and the hoverboard,” Kilbride said.

      He quickly discovered that no encryption was being used for the communication between the two. The authentication with the hoverboard was Bluetooth PIN authentication, which wasn’t properly implemented, enabling Kilbride to explore and exploit the hoverboard.

      Going a step further, Kilbride was able to determine that the update mechanism for the hoverboard’s firmware did not validate the authenticity of a given update. As such, Kilbride was able to load malicious firmware onto the hoverboard that provided him with advanced remote execution capabilities that are normally not present on the device. As a safety feature, the hoverboard first makes a determination about whether or not there is a rider on the hoverboard before allowing the mobile application to take control.

      “So if you remove the ability of the hoverboard to determine if there is a rider present, you can do a wider variety of actions, including turning off the motor while the hoverboard is moving,” he said.

      For developers and vendors aiming to properly secure devices, Kilbride has several suggestions. With the Segway Bluetooth implementation, he noted that the PIN to gain access was “cosmetic” and didn’t actually secure the device.

      “In the Bluetooth protocol there is a parameter for setting up a PIN that will then establish some form of encrypted connection,” he said. “So the PIN should be using a mechanism that is cryptographically checked and secured.”

      Kilbride also suggests that embedded device vendors enable authenticity checks for firmware updates to prevent malicious tampering.

      “Segway has told us that they now encrypt the firmware images, so if they’ve done that properly, then they will not be susceptible to the attack that I’ve outlined,” he said.

      Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at eWEEK and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.

      Sean Michael Kerner
      Sean Michael Kerner is an Internet consultant, strategist, and contributor to several leading IT business web sites.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×