Cyberattacks have evolved over the years, and they get more and more dangerous. Hackers find new ways to disrupt the lives of citizens. A recent example of the same has surfaced on the internet in which robot vacuums were hacked and made to shout racial slurs. According to a report from ABC News, robot vacuums in several US cities were hijacked, and hackers used their onboard speakers to say offensive and racial slurs.
The devices targeted were exclusively Chinese-manufactured Ecovacs Deebot X2 models, which are known to have a severe security flaw. One of the affected individuals, Daniel Swenson from Minnesota, realised something was wrong when his robotic vacuum began malfunctioning while he was watching TV. He told ABC News, “It sounded like a broken-up radio signal.”
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As per Swenson, after resetting the device, the hacker returned to yell racial slurs. While describing the namecalling, Swenson said, “It was clear, loud, and directed right at my son."
Hapenning A Bit Too Often?
Similar incidents have been reported across various U.S. cities. In Los Angeles, one resident shared a disturbing experience where their Deebot X2 robot began chasing their dog around the house, all while emitting abusive and offensive remarks. Meanwhile, in El Paso, another Deebot X2 owner encountered a shocking situation when the device started broadcasting racial slurs during the late hours of the night.
These unsettling events unfolded despite earlier warnings from cybersecurity experts, who had identified significant vulnerabilities in the Deebot X2 models months prior. Unfortunately, Ecovacs reportedly failed to address these security flaws in a timely manner, leaving users exposed to potential threats. Ecovacs acknowledged the attacks and informed customers that a security update would be released in November, but affected users like Swenson were left frustrated by the company’s response.