“A more problematic interpretation is that the smartwatches can be used to spy on children.
In either case, this functionality shouldn’t have been kept in the final release of the smartwatch.”
The backdoor into the Qihoo smartwatch appears to have been intentionally manufactured, the reports authors write.
Xplora
It can be activated by sending SMS commands to the watch.
“To trigger the backdoor, knowledge of a secret encryption key is required,” the authors wrote.
“Our research leads us to believe that the functionality cannot be used without knowledge of the key.
Xplora
An attempt to reach the company for comment was unsuccessful.
The new discovery of a backdoor in the Xplora smartwatch is problematic, but not surprising.
“A scary scenario much-feared by parents is that hackers can effectively take control of childrens products, i.e.
Cameras connected to the internet have been “historically poorly configured and designed,” he added.
A scary scenario much-feared by parents is that hackers can effectively take control of childrens products.
A couple of days later, the mother walked in and realized her baby monitor was playing pornographic videos.
For parents, the smartwatch study taps into their deepest fears about exposing their children to strangers.
