CHAPTER 3 - Bluetooth Attacks

Abstract

Bluetooth is actually a suite of protocols and functions operating in the 2.4 GHz ISM band along the same as 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. Bluetooth has undergone some revisions and multiple versions of the protocol exist. Bluetooth 1.2 and 2.0 1 Enhanced Data Rate (EDR), are the most common in the marketplace. Bluetooth 1.2 supports approximately 725 Kbps throughput that is enough for devices such as mouse, keyboards, printers, and headsets. Revisions to the standards culminating in Bluetooth 2.0 includes EDR, which bumps the maximum throughput to 3 Mbps on compatible devices for larger data such as photos or music files. Bluetooth attacks are against targets of opportunity. In the case of Bluetooth, its design assumes that devices interact with one another occasionally. The need for these devices to find one another easily is a requirement of this. This allows legitimate users to find the device they are seeking and allows a nearby attacker to find those same devices and silently interrogate them to find out if they are suitable to attack. The most common attacks on Bluetooth devices are due to default PIN numbers. Many devices come preset from the factory with a PIN that the user is asked to change.