Three million malware-infected smart toothbrushes used in Swiss DDoS attacks : internetofshit

[+] NoLifeKing@ani.social 58 points 5 months ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

[deleted]

[-] Death_Equity@lemmy.world 37 points 5 months ago

So you can access your brushing habit data via a convenient app and the company can sell your brushing habits data as well as any information that can be gathered about you, anything on your Wi-Fi network, and phone thanks to the app.

There is no genuine consumer advantage to most smart tech.

[-] pongalong@lemmy.world 31 points 5 months ago

It needs the internet to download updates to protect it from viruses on the internet.

[-] Skelectus@suppo.fi 27 points 5 months ago

It makes it smart. That's a feature.

[-] edgemaster72@lemmy.world 14 points 5 months ago

To make sure you don't install unauthorized 3rd party brush heads

[-] Anticorp@lemmy.world 14 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

So it can track how often you brush your teeth and sell that data to insurance and toothpaste companies, and then spam you push notifications to buy more toothbrush heads.

[-] Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca 11 points 5 months ago

Anything useful to the user could be done via Bluetooth or something. WiFi is solely for the benefit of the company.

[-] FaceDeer@kbin.social 48 points 5 months ago

This news story is apparently based on a made-up hypothetical scenario that someone thought was real and then it went viral.

[-] remotelove@lemmy.ca 2 points 5 months ago

True or not, it's a good reminder that not everything needs to be connected to everything else "just because".

[-] FaceDeer@kbin.social 4 points 5 months ago

All well and good, but none of these things are connected "just because." There are reasons why a toothbrush might need an internet connection. You may not agree with those reasons but they do exist, it's not "just because."

[-] remotelove@lemmy.ca 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

This community is Internet of Shit, so I need you to be a little more bitter, please.

I wasn't referring to just toothbrushes but rather, many devices in general. For my personal projects, I tend to have super complex (and sometimes unusual) requirements, so I get that part.

But yes, the fad is still to connect everything to the cloud and install yet another phone app "just because". Many devices are useful like that, many are not. Having spent quite a bit of time automating my house, I have seen the full gambit of products that are out there. (I am planning an overhaul of everything in a few weeks to get de-clouded as much as possible. Tight cloud integrations are fine, but it's seriously annoying at times with Samsung and Chamberlain being two fat examples.)

The shattered ecosystems are annoying and can present data security risks. So, I am saying that you should use your brain before connecting anything and not just because the manufacturers tell you to.

[-] FaceDeer@kbin.social 3 points 5 months ago

I'm just making the rounds of where this story has been crossposted to, to make sure everyone knows it's not actually true.

[-] remotelove@lemmy.ca 1 points 5 months ago

Ok, whatever. Weird thread at that.

[-] dohpaz42@lemmy.world 24 points 5 months ago

DDoS by teethbrushes. What a time to be alive!

[-] Icalasari@kbin.social 21 points 5 months ago

This feels like an Onion headline. Never would have expected this to happen

[-] tkk13909@sopuli.xyz 1 points 5 months ago

It didn't.

[-] troyunrau@lemmy.ca 18 points 5 months ago

The future is weird

[-] Bezier@suppo.fi 18 points 5 months ago

Toothbrushes again

[-] enkille@lemmy.world 37 points 5 months ago

I would like to reward whoever had the audacity to exploit toothbrushes with some sort of plaque

[-] HootinNHollerin@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Whoever did it is definitely a cavity dweller

[-] Mango@lemmy.world 16 points 5 months ago

Truly one of the events of all time.

[-] sramder@lemmy.world 16 points 5 months ago

We have 0 details… but trust us, this totally happened ;-)

[-] Anticorp@lemmy.world 14 points 5 months ago

You do not need an app for your toothbrush, FFS.

[-] SuckMyWang@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

How do I know if I’m brushing my teeth then?

[-] flathead@lemm.ee 9 points 5 months ago

"the toothbrush botnet was thought to have been vulnerable due to its Java-based OS"

Not Swiss, but I'd never put Java in my mouth.

[-] gregorum@lemm.ee 8 points 5 months ago

our world is definitely getting weirder

[-] EvilLootbox@lemmy.world 7 points 5 months ago

How did my dad ever learn to brush before Sparkly was around?

Oh no Sparkly has been zombified!

[-] CoffeeJunkie@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

No one has seen the Tooth Fairy since the incident.

[-] Disinfect056@lemm.ee 3 points 5 months ago

Why in the F would you install an app on your phone for your toothbrush?

[-] remotelove@lemmy.ca 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I could see it being used by parents to track when their kids brush, but that is still kinda weird.

It supposedly tracks spots you miss and gives you 7x healthier gums***** with up to 100% less stains***** and it also reminds you when to replace the grindy bits. (I mostly think that it is 100% bullshit***)

[-] anguo@lemmy.ca 1 points 5 months ago

I assume it's "***** Compared to our bristle-less toothbrush".

[-] Disinfect056@lemm.ee 1 points 5 months ago

No thank you... People who habe it installed got what they decerved

Internet of Shit

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2. Behave.