Welcome back, aspiring cyberwarriors!

Bluetooth is often seen as something short range and therefore harmless. Many people think that because it only works over a limited distance, it must also be secure by design. But that’s not true. Bluetooth is convenient, but convenience often comes at the cost of security and privacy. A big number of vulnerabilities show that Bluetooth devices can expose much more information than many realize. At a technical level, they constantly announce their presence to the surrounding environment. Even when you are not actively using them, they still send small pieces of data. Over time these pieces form patterns that show detailed information about people’s lives.

Hackers can take control of devices, pair with them without permission and even use them as remote listening tools. In other cases, simply listening is enough. 

WhisperPair Vulnerability

In January 2026, researchers from KU Leuven disclosed a critical Bluetooth vulnerability known as WhisperPair (CVE-2025-36911). This vulnerability affects hundreds of millions of Bluetooth audio devices, including headphones and headsets that rely on modern pairing mechanisms. The attack takes advantage of a feature called Fast Pair in Android. Fast Pair was designed to simplify the user experience. With a single tap users can connect their Bluetooth accessories and synchronize them with their account. It’s convenient and widely adopted.

However, some devices don’t properly ignore pairing requests when they aren’t in pairing mode. A hacker can exploit this by sending crafted pairing initiation packets to a vulnerable device. Even if the device isn’t actively trying to connect, it may still respond. Once the hacker receives that response, they can establish a normal Bluetooth connection.

From that point on, the hacker gains control over the accessory. 

Then they can activate the microphone to record conversations. The attack works from up to 14 meters away, which is plenty for offices, cafes or public transport.

This can be combined with device tracking. Some Bluetooth accessories integrate with Google’s Find Hub network, which allows lost devices to be located using nearby Android devices. If a vulnerable accessory has never been paired with an Android device before, a hacker can register it under their own Google account. In doing so, they become the “owner” of the device in the tracking system.

The victim may eventually receive a notification about unwanted tracking, but the alert can appear misleading. If the user’s own device is responsible for tracking, that will cause confusion and reduce the likelihood that the threat is taken seriously. Meanwhile, the hacker continues to track the device over time. It affects multiple vendors, chipsets and product lines. As a result, exploitation is likely to continue well beyond 2026.

Bluehood Scanner

Sometimes, attacks are completely passive. In February 2026, a developer released a Bluetooth scanner called Bluehood. It looks like a monitoring tool and shows how much information can be extracted from the environment without ever connecting to a device.

Bluetooth is almost always enabled. Phones, laptops, smartwatches, headphones, cars and even medical devices continuously broadcast signals. Bluehood listens to that data and builds patterns over time. By passively listening to this traffic over days or weeks, hackers can reconstruct behavior.

For example, you can find out when delivery vehicles arrive and whether the same driver appears regularly. You can see daily routines by tracking when certain devices appear and disappear. You can also correlate devices that are always seen together, such as a phone and a smartwatch, which likely belong to the same person. You can even determine approximate schedules when someone leaves for work or returns home.

You don’t need to buy hardware for that. In many cases, a laptop will do the job. If you want, you can get a Raspberry Pi with a Bluetooth adapter. 

Some devices are designed to always keep Bluetooth active. Hearing aids, for instance, rely on Bluetooth Low Energy for configuration and diagnostics. Pacemakers may also broadcast BLE signals for similar reasons. These aren’t devices that users can simply turn off.

Many cars use Bluetooth for diagnostics, driver assistance and connectivity features. Consumer devices add even more noise to the environment. Smartwatches, pet trackers and fitness equipment all give off signals. Together, they create a dense network of signals that can be analyzed.

Bluehood works only in passive mode. It doesn’t try to connect to devices. It identifies them based on manufacturer data and BLE service UUIDs, then tracks when they appear and disappear. The tool also includes a web dashboard. It generates hourly and daily heatmaps, tracks dwell time and has filters. New devices often use randomized MAC addresses for privacy and Bluehood can detect and filter these.

Installation

You can install  the tool quickly using Docker.

kali > git clone https://github.com/dannymcc/bluehood.git
kali > cd bluehood
kali > docker compose up -d

Alternatively, you can install it using package managers and Python tools.

kali > sudo apt install bluez python3-pip
kali > pip install -e .
kali > sudo bluehood

After the installation you can start the scanner.

# Start with web dashboard (default port 8080)
kali > bluehood

# Specify a different port
kali > bluehood --port 9000

# Use a specific Bluetooth adapter
kali > bluehood --adapter hci1

# List available adapters
kali > bluehood --list-adapters

# Disable web dashboard (scanning only)
kali > bluehood --no-web

Keep in mind that if you installed the app with Docker Compose, it should be accessible at http://localhost:8080.

Collected data is stored in SQLite, and the tool can optionally send notifications through ntfy.sh when devices arrive or leave a location.

Summary

Bluetooth security is often underestimated because the technology feels invisible and low risk. That’s not the case though. There are active and passive techniques that can be used for tracking. Big cities often have listeners scattered around public places and stations, working like Bluehood. Active techniques like WhisperPair can lead to full device compromise with tracking and audio surveillance.

If you enjoy experimenting with frequencies and trying new things, we have our SDR for Hackers training. With Master OTW, you’ll learn how to use your computer and inexpensive SDR hardware to explore and hack a wide range of radio signals.

The post Bluetooth Hacking and Security: The WhisperPair Exploit and Bluehood Surveillance first appeared on Hackers Arise.

Welcome back, my aspiring cyberwarriors!

IoT hacking is one the cutting-edge fields of cybersecurity. This includes IP cameras, Bluetooth devices, Home Security systems, Smart Home devices, and well…unfortunately, medical devices. Each of these devices is vulnerable to attackers taking control of the device, using it in a botnet, or even using it as foothold within your network to pivot to more valuable systems in your home or office.

I really enjoy when mass media depicts hackers accurately. Most TV shows and movies make the hackers look like wizards with superpowers but, in reality, we are just regular people…with superpowers. Mr Robot is my favorite show because it depicts real hacks and hacking.

Often, art imitates and life, and sometimes life imitates art. There was an intriguing TV show a few years back called Homeland. It was about an American soldier captured in Iraq who is turned against his country. When he is released from captivity and sent back to the US, he is determined to exact his revenge upon the US Vice-President who had committed war crimes in Iraq that he witnessed (most people would infer that this character is the former US VP, Dick Cheney). To do so, he attempts to hack his heart pacemaker. Is this hack real?

Let’s examine it.

The Scene

In the show, Nicholas Brody, the American soldier, assassinates the U.S. Vice President by hacking his heart pacemaker. In this case, Brody learns the VP has a heart pacemaker (the real-life Cheney does have a pacemaker) with wireless management capability to make it easier for doctor to monitor and control. Brody then gets the device’s serial number via a corrupt congressman. He then remotely connects to the pacemaker using the serial number and sends a lethal command, causing the VP’s heart to fail instantly killing the Vice-President and accomplishing his mission.

How Real Is This?

This scene is not pure fiction. The Homeland scenario is dramatized, but the core risk is real. A famous hacker known as Barnaby Jack, developed a hack that he said could kill someone from 50ft away. Suspiciously, he died suddenly before he could give the details at a cybersecurity conference.

Here are the steps necessary to execute (no pun intended) this attack.

Step 1. Wireless Medical Devices Are Vulnerable

• Many pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) use wireless protocols (like Bluetooth or proprietary RF) to communicate with doctors’ equipment for monitoring and reprogramming.
• Security researchers have shown these wireless links can be intercepted or spoofed, especially if encryption/authentication is weak or missing.

Step 2. Serial Numbers and Authentication

• In Homeland, the serial number is used as a “password.” In reality, some devices have used static or easily guessable credentials, and some have been shown to accept commands with minimal authentication.
• Security researchers (like Barnaby Jack) have demonstrated attacks requiring only proximity and a bit of device info to take control of pacemakers and ICDs.

Step 3. What Can a Hacker Do?

• Pacemakers: Typically, they only deliver low-voltage pulses to regulate heartbeat. They cannot deliver a lethal shock.
• ICDs: These can deliver high-voltage shocks to correct dangerous arrhythmias. If hacked, an attacker could theoretically trigger a shock at the wrong time, potentially inducing heart attack.
• Remote attacks: If the device is internet-connected (directly or via a paired device), attacks could be launched from anywhere.

Step 4. Real-World Paranoia

• Former VP Dick Cheney had the wireless feature of his own ICD disabled out of fear of assassination by hacking.
• The FDA has recalled devices over vulnerabilities, and researchers have repeatedly shown proof-of-concept hacks on medical devices

Attack Chain: How a Real-World Pacemaker/ICD Hack Might Work

Step	Technique/Vector
Recon	Identify device make/model (hospital records, social engineering, physical access)
Info Gathering	Obtain serial number (physical inspection, medical leaks, social engineering)
Wireless Probing	Use SDR, Bluetooth, or RF tools to sniff device traffic
Authentication Bypass	Exploit weak/no authentication to connect
Command Injection	Send malicious commands (change pacing, trigger shock on ICD)
Impact	Disrupt heart rhythm, potentially cause cardiac event

Why This Matters to You

• Medical devices are computers: Old, unpatched, and often lacking basic security controls.
• Attack surface is growing: More devices connect via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or even the internet for remote monitoring.
• Life-and-death consequences: Unlike most hacks, these can kill.

Summary

Although the Homeland hack is dramatized, the underlying threat is real. IoT hacking is among the most important fields of cybersecurity and is often overlooked. IoT devices, like this heart-pacemaker, are often shipped with little concern for security. If the medical device industry does not up its cybersecurity game, sadly, people will die.

As a hacker or defender, know that:

• Medical device security is often an afterthought.
• Wireless and networked implants are vulnerable to attack if not properly secured.
• Physical and cyber hygiene (disabling wireless, patching firmware, strong authentication) is critical for life-critical systems.

Look for our upcoming Medical Device Hacking training

The post The “Homeland” VP Pacemaker Hack: Is This Attack Realistic? first appeared on Hackers Arise.