Hundreds of Millions of Audio Devices Need a Patch to Prevent Wireless Hacking and Tracking

Flaws in how 17 models of headphones and speakers use Google’s one-tap Fast Pair Bluetooth protocol have left devices open to eavesdroppers and stalkers.

Google designed the wireless protocol known as Fast Pair to optimize for ultra-convenient connections: It lets users connect their Bluetooth gadgets with Android and ChromeOS devices in a single tap. Now one group of researchers has discovered that the same protocol can also enable hackers to connect with that same seamless convenience to hundreds of millions of earbuds, headphones, and speakers. The result is an enormous collection of Fast Pair-compatible audio devices that allow any spy or stalker to take control of speakers and microphones, or in some cases track an unwitting target’s location—even if the victim is an iPhone user who has never owned a Google product.