What you should know
– The Flipper Zero is a $169 multi-tool capable of interacting with the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol
– The Flipper Zero has been used to perform Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks on iPhone users, rendering their devices unusable
– The attack uses a Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) pairing sequence flaw and can occur from a distance of about 50 meters
– The only solution to prevent the attack is to turn off Bluetooth from the Settings, as Airplane mode does not work
Full Story
The protests are often filled with individuals who seem to be there for the violence, and those are the same people who should never get their hands on a Flipper Zero. This $169 multi-tool, designed for penetration testing and hobbyists, has the capability to interact with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, allowing for wireless data transfers between devices. Recent reports have revealed that the Flipper Zero has been used to disrupt iPhone users, rendering their devices unusable for periods of time.
Even the latest beta version of iOS 17 (iOS 17.2 beta 2 for developers) is reportedly unable to prevent the disruptions caused by the Flipper Zero. The device’s firmware, which is open source, was quickly modified to engage in Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks, bombarding iPhones and iPads with an overwhelming amount of Bluetooth connection notifications, causing the devices to freeze up for minutes and then reboot.
What’s even more concerning is that the attacker doesn’t even need to be in close proximity to their victim for the attack to occur. The Flipper Zero has a range of about 50 meters (~164 feet), making it a potent threat from a distance. At this point, the only way to prevent such an attack is to disable Bluetooth from the Settings, as turning it off from the Control Center or enabling Airplane mode does not provide protection.
