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This is an archive article published on October 14, 2024
Hackers take control of robot vacuums, yell racial slurs in multiple US cities
A Los Angeles resident reported their Deebot X2 robot chasing their dog while shouting abusive comments. In El Paso, another device began spewing racial slurs late at night.
Despite warnings from cybersecurity researchers about the device's vulnerabilities months earlier, Ecovacs allegedly did not address the flaws in time. (Representational/File Photo)Robot vacuums in various US cities were hijacked by hackers, who gained control of the devices and used their onboard speakers to shout racist obscenities, according to an ABC News report. The targeted devices were all Chinese-made Ecovacs Deebot X2 models, which have a known critical security vulnerability.
Minnesota resident Daniel Swenson was one of the victims. While watching TV, he noticed his robot vacuum malfunctioning. “It sounded like a broken-up radio signal,” he told ABC News.
After resetting the device, the hacker returned, this time yelling racial slurs. “It was clear, loud, and directed right at my son,” Swenson said.
Similar incidents occurred in other US cities. A Los Angeles resident reported their Deebot X2 robot chasing their dog while shouting abusive comments. In El Paso, another device began spewing racial slurs late at night.
Despite warnings from cybersecurity researchers about the device’s vulnerabilities months earlier, Ecovacs allegedly did not address the flaws in time.
“The PIN code system was faulty,” the researchers had warned at a hacking conference in 2023. Ecovacs acknowledged the attacks and informed customers that a security update would be released in November, but affected users like Swenson were left frustrated by the company’s response.
(with inputs from AP)
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