Researchers have found that robot vacuums are vulnerable to eavesdropping through cyberattacks while inside their homes. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors on robot vacuums contain a bug that could allow an attacker to listen to private conversations. LiDAR technology allows these vacuum robots to navigate around floor obstacles as well as to measure distances to or from nearby objects.
Although researchers have found that the attack could happen, it is extremely complex and therefore doesn’t pose a high risk to robot vacuum owners. The attacker would have to have already compromised the device themselves and be positioned on the target’s local network to launch the attack. The idea behind the attack is to access LiDAR readings, which include sound signals. This could then be interpreted to reveal full conversations, potentially revealing sensitive information.
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