Researchers turn robots into 'weaponised spies'

Security firm IOActive tested 12 devices made for the home, businesses and industrial purposes, and in a report said all were found to contain critical vulnerabilities which could allow attackers to control them remotely. While current devices do not have the "strength, speed and force" to cause an adult harm, the design flaws are so common, the company says, that when stronger robots are developed the risk of harm could be significant. "We found a lot of authentication vulnerabilities, where the user of the robot is not actually verified to be the owner," said Lucas Apa, a senior security consultant at IOActive. These issues mean that "anyone within the same network can interact with the robot and issue it commands - to move around or even to return the video or microphone recordings that it's making to a third party". The robots, especially when used in a business setting, could therefore facilitate industrial espionage, the firm says.