Ecovacs has released an update to make sure that its robotic lawnmowers and vacuum cleaners are no longer easily hacked. Hackers were able to access, among other things, the microphones and cameras on the devices, allowing them to watch and listen in on other people’s homes.

“Don’t worry too much”

Security experts Dennis Giese and Braelynn reported on these security issues earlier this month, and Ecovacs’ response at the time was that the experts’ findings were very rare in normal use and also required special hacking tools, in addition to physical access to the devices. “So users can rest assured that there is no need to worry too much about this,” the company wrote.

Experts disagree with Ecovacs: Anyone can use their phone to connect to an Ecovacs robot from 130 meters away and control the devices via Bluetooth. Hackers can then build on this and view the cameras anywhere in the world via WiFi. The researchers were also thorough: they tested eleven different vacuum cleaners and lawnmowers from the brand.

And that wasn’t the only mistake: If you put your vacuum cleaner on Marktplaats and deleted your account, it turns out you can still see when the buyer sets up the device himself. That way they can also spy on the previous robot buyer.

Ecovacs through dust

However, Ecovacs dismissed this, saying it was rare for people to misuse it either. It is now clear that this is the case. Ecovacs’ security director, Martin Ma, says: Techcrunch She changed her mind and will fix the bugs. “We conducted an in-depth investigation and self-examination, identified several areas where there is room for improvement, and began making targeted improvements and addressing the issues that were identified.”

The company also commends Dennis Giese and Braelynn for their help to consumers and the safety of technology products.

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