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Armis Labs disclosed BlueBorne, a cluster of Bluetooth implementation vulnerabilities that exposed Android, Windows, Linux, older iOS versions, and some older macOS systems to attack without pairing, user interaction, or even an IP connection. The flaws, reported as eight to nine bugs across affected platforms, included remote code execution, man-in-the-middle, information disclosure, and full device takeover scenarios. Researchers said an infected device could invisibly reach nearby targets over Bluetooth from roughly 32 feet away, potentially intercept data, deliver malware, and spread in a worm-like fashion across phones, PCs, smartwatches, TVs, cars, drones, medical devices, and other IoT systems.
At disclosure, Armis estimated 5.3 billion devices were vulnerable, and US-CERT warned that millions of unpatched systems could be affected. Although patches were issued for some platforms, including Microsoft Windows and newer Android releases, older Android devices, many Linux systems, and unsupported Apple devices remained difficult to secure. A year after the flaws were revealed, Armis said more than two billion devices were still exposed because users had not installed updates or their hardware no longer received vendor support, underscoring the long tail of Bluetooth risk across legacy and embedded systems.
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3 events from the most recent confirmed update back to the earliest known activity.
About one year after BlueBorne's disclosure, Armis said more than two billion devices remained vulnerable because many users had not installed updates and many older devices no longer received vendor support. The remaining exposed population was said to include large numbers of Linux, Android, Windows, and older iOS devices.
Following disclosure, guidance was issued to apply available vendor patches, update to protected OS versions, and disable or limit Bluetooth where updates were unavailable. Microsoft and supported Android versions had patches available, while US-CERT warned that millions of unpatched phones, computers, wearables, and IoT devices could remain exposed.
Armis publicly disclosed BlueBorne, a set of eight Bluetooth implementation zero-day vulnerabilities affecting Android, Windows, Linux, older iOS versions, and some older macOS versions. The flaws allowed attacks without pairing or user interaction and could enable remote code execution, man-in-the-middle attacks, information disclosure, or full device takeover.
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Researchers disclosed three vulnerabilities in Bluetooth audio devices built on Airoha systems-on-chip that can allow an attacker within radio range to gain unauthorized access to device memory and communications. The flaws, tracked as **`CVE-2025-20700`**, **`CVE-2025-20701`**, and **`CVE-2025-20702`**, stem from missing authentication in GATT and Bluetooth BR/EDR components and weak permission controls in a proprietary protocol, affecting headphones and earbuds sold by brands including **Sony, Bose, Jabra, JBL, Marshall, Beyerdynamic, and Teufel**. ERNW researchers said the bugs can be chained to hijack the Bluetooth link between a phone and an audio device, issue commands to the paired phone through the **Hands-Free Profile**, eavesdrop on conversations, and potentially overwrite firmware for remote code execution on the accessory. The attack requires proximity because exploitation is limited by Bluetooth range, but defenders were urged to apply vendor firmware updates and investigate or restart devices showing abnormal Bluetooth behavior.
Jul 24, 2026
Security researchers have identified and disclosed several critical vulnerabilities in Bluetooth headphones and earbuds powered by Airoha Bluetooth System-on-Chips (SoCs), which are widely used by major brands such as Sony, Bose, JBL, Marshall, and Jabra. The vulnerabilities, tracked as CVE-2025-20700, CVE-2025-20701, and CVE-2025-20702, allow attackers within Bluetooth range to eavesdrop on conversations, steal sensitive data, and potentially hijack connected smartphones. The most severe flaw, related to the RACE (Remote Access Control Engine) protocol, enables remote code execution and arbitrary memory access due to missing authentication mechanisms in both Bluetooth Low Energy and Classic modes. Despite initial disclosure in June 2025 and the availability of patches, many affected devices remain unpatched, increasing the risk of exploitation. The RACE protocol, originally designed for factory debugging and firmware updates, is exposed over multiple interfaces, including Bluetooth and USB HID, providing attackers with powerful capabilities if exploited. Researchers have released a white paper and the RACE Toolkit to help users and security professionals assess device vulnerability. The ongoing exposure of these flaws highlights the importance of timely patching and the risks associated with insecure default configurations in widely deployed consumer electronics. Users of affected headphones and earbuds are urged to check for firmware updates and apply patches as soon as possible to mitigate the risk of compromise.
Jun 29, 2026
The Linux kernel received a patch for a Bluetooth vulnerability tied to improper handling of fragmented packets, while independent research described a related **"Frag Gap"** issue that could let attackers abuse fragmentation behavior to bypass expected protocol protections. The available references indicate the flaw affects low-level packet reassembly logic and could expose systems using Bluetooth to unintended packet acceptance or security control evasion. The public reporting links the issue to wireless fragmentation weaknesses similar in concept to earlier **FragAttacks** research, with the kernel commit serving as the upstream remediation path and the technical write-up providing exploit context. For defenders, the immediate implication is to prioritize Linux kernel updates on Bluetooth-enabled systems and review exposure in environments where nearby attackers could interact over wireless interfaces.
Jul 22, 2026