カテゴリー別アーカイブ: wifi

9 burglaries in Minnesota suspected of disabling cameras by jamming Wi-Fi

- As technology becomes cheaper and more accessible, smart security systems become vulnerable

A survey of news articles regarding burglaries that incorporated the use of Wi-Fi jammers shows a wealth of prior evidence supporting this behavior. In January 2020, a post on the Ring community noted that one of the company’s wireless doorbells missed detecting a porch thief due to a Wi-Fi deauthentication attack. Moreover, from 2021 through 2023, there was a noticeable rise in reports of burglars utilizing Wi-Fi jamming techniques, indicating a growing trend.

We mentioned Ring as one of the companies promoting video doorbells to solve multiple home security problems, but other wireless smart home security products from Blink (Amazon) and Nest (Google) are also susceptible to wireless signal interference. Worryingly, by 2024, Wi-Fi jamming will be almost a piece of cake for would-be thieves. Jammers can be purchased online very easily and cheaply, with prices ranging from $40 to $1,000. jammer device are not legal in the United States, but are readily available online.

Individuals pondering the effectiveness of a wireless component home security system may wish to consider the following advice. First, establish a physical connection that allows for wired integration and local storage of surveillance footage. Additionally, take advantage of smart home technology to give the impression that someone is present in your home. It is also worthwhile to determine if your device can send alerts when the signal or connection is compromised, and to explore these settings for enhanced security.

A serial burglar operating in Edina, Minnesota, is accused of using a Wi-Fi jammer to interfere with security cameras prior to stealing valuables from victims and fleeing the scene. While Minnesota is not typically seen as a technological epicenter, it is not surprising that there have been reports of burglaries involving Wi-Fi jammers in the United States for several years. This situation serves as a reminder that criminals are increasingly adopting technological tools, prompting homeowners to evaluate their security measures.

Edina law enforcement officials are considering the theory that nine residential burglaries occurring in the past six months involved the use of Wi-Fi jammers, effectively preventing investigators from obtaining any video evidence of the offenses.

The thieves’ modus operandi is believed to be:

• Homes in affluent areas
• The thieves carefully monitor the homes
• The thieves avoid confrontation, so appear to wait until the homes are empty
• The thieves deploy Wi-Fi jammers when the homes are empty

The role of jammers is to create interference for wireless devices, not to completely eliminate signals. In most cases, they cannot transmit authentic traffic due to the excessive load on the wireless network.

Officials in La Cañada Flintridge began noticing thieves were using Wi-Fi blocking devices to bypass home security systems like cameras and door sensors.

In response to an increase in home break-ins by “sophisticated criminals” in the San Gabriel Valley, the city of La Cañada Flintridge announced Tuesday that it has increased law enforcement patrols and begun taking steps to curb crimes that rely on new technology.

Arabo Parseghian of the city’s administrative services department said the city is working with the Crescenta Valley Police Department and Los Angeles County to expand police presence while officials try to stop thieves who are taking advantage of wireless technology.

“For wireless cameras, alarm systems and door sensors, a lot of criminals are now trying to rely on Wi-Fi jammers to combat them,” Parseghian said.

He said city officials began noticing criminals were using Wi-Fi jammers to get around them. Blocking devices to bypass security systems so that even if a burglary occurs, they won’t alert homeowners.

An attempted burglary a few months ago confirmed officers’ suspicions when deputies found items left behind by the criminals, Parsekin said.

“They left some equipment behind, one of which was a Wi-Fi signal blocker which we seized as part of the evidence in the burglary, and we’re seeing this as a trend among criminals today.”

He added that the city has seen seven to eight burglaries a month lately.

In addition to the increased patrols, the sheriff’s department will do some undercover work, and the city will also purchase Flock Safety cameras, which can read license plates and flag suspicious vehicles, including those that may have warrants.

City officials also recommend that homeowners update the firmware on all firewalls and home security devices and install glass detectors on doors that can send alerts.

With the summer holidays approaching, authorities are encouraging residents to sign up for “vacation checks” with the sheriff’s department and to communicate plans with trusted people.

“If you trust your neighbors, if you have a good relationship, let them know, ‘Hey, I’m going out of town.’ ”

The deadly blasts resulting from pagers and walkie-talkies employed by Hezbollah in Lebanon have led to an extensive investigation into the origins of these products. This inquiry highlights the considerable opacity of the market for such outdated technologies, where consumers typically have minimal awareness of the items they are acquiring.

The incident involving the bombing of pagers and walkie-talkies by Lebanese Hezbollah, which claimed 37 lives and left nearly 3,000 injured, underscores the difficulties in ascertaining the precise failure point.wifi jammer

A European company has been accused by Taiwan’s Golden Apollo of licensing its pager brand, resulting in investigations into the origins of related products across Hungary, Bulgaria, Norway, and Romania.

How massive attacks took place simultaneously, injuring thousands

Time and place of the incident

On Tuesday at 3:45 p.m. local time, an explosion occurred in Beirut, Lebanon’s capital, and its effects were experienced in several other areas throughout the country.

Individuals who witnessed the event reported observing smoke ascending from the pockets of people, as well as hearing sounds that resembled small explosions, comparable to both fireworks and gunfire.

The surveillance video seemingly reveals an explosion erupting from the pocket of a man located in front of a store’s cash register.

As reported by Reuters, the series of explosions continued for nearly an hour subsequent to the initial explosion.

Following this, many wounded individuals converged on hospitals throughout Lebanon, and witnesses consistently recounted disorderly scenes in different places.

How do pagers explode?

A hacker attack might have caused the pager’s battery to overheat and explode. If this is indeed the situation, it would be an unprecedented occurrence. The attack is activated by signaling, a form of alphanumeric text messaging.

• Pagers can be modified to explode, typically by using them as radio communication devices to remotely trigger bombs.
• A pager is a device that receives radio signals and can receive wireless messages in a specific frequency band. An attacker could exploit this feature to control an explosive device.
• When the pager receives a specific signal, it can use internal circuitry to trigger a detonator connected to the explosive. This detonating device is usually a relay or switch that connects the explosive to the pager’s power supply.

Attackers typically prefer frequency bands with extensive coverage to ensure that pagers can successfully receive the signal. By employing signal jammers, it is possible to disrupt wireless signals in particular frequency bands, thus preventing pagers from receiving detonation signals.

Karyn Wall has lived in Lemon Grove for the past 20 years, and to her knowledge, her home has never been targeted by criminals. However, she recently learned how vulnerable her home is to would-be burglars.

“My husband and I feel very secure, but I know we may need to do something about the house, the interior, the lighting, etc.,” Wall said.

Shanah Clevenger is a crime prevention specialist with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department who runs the free Lemon Grove Home Security Consultation Program. She’ll consider anything that can be done to bolster home security, no matter the budget.

“Some of my suggestions are quick and easy and don’t cost a lot,” Clevenger said. “I just suggest: do what you can, or do it incrementally until you feel your home is secure.”

That security measure includes protection against a relatively unknown type of wifi jammer. NBC 7 Responds spoke to cybersecurity expert Jim Stickley about these devices, who said that even though they are illegal in the U.S., there are several websites where you can buy them and have them delivered to your door.

“I mean, you shouldn’t panic,” Stickley said. “It’s real, but the number of criminals who actually use it is relatively small.”

How do Wi-Fi jammers work?

Jammers disable Wi-Fi devices by overloading the Wi-Fi frequency, or any radio frequency, and large jammers have a fairly wide range of interference, Stickley said.

“It could take out a whole house, or even a couple of houses around me, and take out all the Wi-Fi,” Stickley said.

Once the Wi-Fi is down, criminals can break in without the cameras capturing it.

How to disable a WiFi jammer?

Wired cameras won’t be affected by signal jammer, of course. Remember: The memory chip will record video whether or not there’s Wi-Fi. Plus, some security systems offer systems that send owners notifications when Wi-Fi is down.

“If you get a notification that the Wi-Fi can’t communicate with the camera, you can say, ‘OK, something might be wrong,’ and then you can call a neighbor and say, ‘Hey, can you go check it out for me?’” Stickley said.

Wall said she couldn’t imagine coming home one day to find her home ransacked by strangers.

“That would be horrible,” Wall said. “That would be horrible because you’d be worried if there was someone else in the house and wouldn’t want to go in. That would be a very scary situation.”

Wall hopes to continue living safely in Lemon Grove for another 20 years.

The sheriff’s department said technology is important to keep your family and home safe, but it’s just as important that you and your neighbors look out for each other. They can also help start a neighborhood watch program.

So now that thief’s are using WiFi jammers that apparently can be bought for $40, what is everyone turning to to protect your property?

News of break-ins these days show quite a few security camera captures, but in many of them the perpetrator is covering their face. So ultimately I’m not so sure how much security cameras (even wired ones that capture clear images) can really protect a property.

It appears even traditional alarm systems would be disabled by a signal blockers since all the sensors’ signal would be blocked as well.

I have NEVER considered a WiFi connected device to be any sort of serious security device. For a serious security device, it needs to be wired (power and data), and the video recorded locally with serious backup power (no, a 15 minute UPS does not qualify). I do have what would likely be considered a Pro-sumer level video camera system, with hours of backup power.

With that said, I have over 40 Wyze cameras, and I do use them regularly as they are quite a bit less expensive than my wired system, and the software is more convenient for a quick look remotely.

Two of the most common attacks are a simple broadband signal generator and a specific WiFi De-Authentication. In the case of the first, the jammer simply broadcasts a strong enough signal that the intended signals are covered in noise. An audio example would be trying to talk back and forth with someone 100 feet away in an empty stadium. That would likely work fine, but now add 50,000 other people and there is so much noise that the person 100 feet away can not be heard. A broadband jammer is a quite simple device.

A De-Authentication attack is an smart device that to keep this simple, impersonates the WiFi client and sends a command to the WiFi access point telling it that the client is disconnecting. Note that WPA-3 prevents that by encrypting the management packets. However although the WPA-3 standard has been out for quite a few years, most IoT devices do not support it.

Both of these attacks happen between the WiFi client and access point, so a firewall or anti-virus never get involved.

Glendale police issue warning about burglars using WiFi signal jammers to disable alarms, security cameras

GLENDALE, Calif. (KABC) — Glendale police have issued a warning about residential burglars who use WIFI jammers to disable security alarms and surveillance cameras.

As described by police Sgt. Victor Jackson, the devices used by thieves block the signal or scramble the WiFi. “So if you have a Ring camera, a Nest camera — any kind of alarm system that is WiFi-based or a camera that’s WiFi-based — it blocks the signal and knocks it out,” he said.

A disproportionate surge in residential burglaries plagued Glendale and Southern California in the fall, leading investigators to the crime trend.

“As our detectives started going into these cases, that’s when they realized what was happening,” Jackson said. “In some cases, because of the way the device works, it made it look like when you went back and rewound your tape and looked, it wasn’t a black screen — it was seamless. It didn’t exist there, so there was no evidence.”

Police recommend that residents increase security by:

• hardwiring alarm systems and cameras,
• using back-up batteries in those security devices,
• installing sturdy locks on security gates,
• enhancing exterior lighting,
• securing windows and balconies,
• and having a trusted neighbor or housesitter look after your home, when away.

The Glendale Police Department’s residential burglary task force has been working to lower the number of break-ins, officials said.

“Our patrol officers, our motor officers, our special enforcement detail, and detectives — we have them undercover in the area — and we saturated the area,” Jackson said.

Nora Alabi, a Glendale resident, told ABC7: “I feel like there’s no part of the city that you can be in and not run into a cop or not run into a police car.

“If I stand here for five minutes, I might see like three cop cars drive by,” she said. “So, because of that, I feel like it’s a safe city.”

The marketing and sale of wireless signal jammer by Amazon and other retailers are currently under investigation by the Federal Communications Commission, as stated on Wednesday.

The utilization, sale, or promotion of wireless devices that are purposely designed to obstruct or interfere with signals from legitimate electronic products, such as cell phones and GPS devices, to consumers in the U.S. is unlawful.

In an unusual move, FCC representative Will Wiquist disclosed that the agency is in the process of conducting several investigations on retailers, including Amazon, for potential infringements of Commission regulations related to the marketing and sale of devices without the required FCC authorization.

As per NBC News, it has come to light that several online retailers and drone technology companies are engaging in the sale of RF signal jammers for sale as a way to deter drones or ensure privacy. This practice allows them to bypass the federal laws that prohibit the sale of such devices within the country.

Amazon did not respond right away to a comment request from Reuters.

In a report conducted by NBC, it was revealed that nine Chinese sellers on Amazon, along with three on eBay, were offering devices referred to as “jammers.” These devices have the ability to block drones, disable security cameras, and disrupt Wi-Fi networks.

Online retailers and drone technology companies are marketing RF jammers as tools for deterring drones or ensuring privacy, bypassing federal laws that prohibit the sale of these devices in the United States.

The FCC warned on its website that these obstructing devices pose a significant hazard to public safety and could disrupt other radio communication services.

Various potential uses of jamming devices include creating interference for unwanted drones, disrupting Wi-Fi networks, and disabling doorbell cameras. In a Reddit group specifically discussing Ring doorbell cameras, certain individuals expressed grievances regarding the utilization of jammers to disrupt the cameras while engaging in theft to evade detection. Interestingly, a Reddit user pointed out the irony that Amazon appears to benefit from both scenarios: Ring is a division of Amazon, and Amazon also sells devices that could potentially disable Ring’s cameras.

When asked about potential interference with Ring devices, Amazon chose not to address the questions.

The use of RF blockers, also known as jammers, is a popular topic of discussion in online forums where individuals share their experiences of feeling targeted for surveillance by the government or other entities, a phenomenon known as “gang stalking.”

According to arrest warrants obtained on Friday, a group of tech-savvy burglars who have been targeting homes in Connecticut and Massachusetts broke into a local residence. The burglars were able to gain access to the residence by obtaining detailed information on the security system from the homeowner’s co-worker.

Arrested on allegations of conspiracy to commit first-degree burglary and conspiracy to commit second-degree larceny is Matthew Colon, aged 31, residing in West Springfield, Massachusetts. Similarly, Enrique Santiago, a 37-year-old individual from Springfield, Massachusetts, is confronted with charges that include first-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools, theft of a firearm, and conspiracy.

The warrant for Colon reveals that the police are likely to detain a third man involved in the case. This investigation is intertwined with a series of other burglaries, which were executed using advanced surveillance techniques and insider knowledge about homeowners’ absence.

On May 20, 2022, a Long Island resident of Green Manor Terrace contacted the police, reporting that two men were seen walking through his backyard on a security camera. The officers who intervened in the burglary discovered a broken rear sliding glass door and a series of abandoned evidence near the property, such as a WiFi jammer, a two-way portable radio, a glass punch tool, a pry bar, and bolt cutters, as stated in the warrant.

As mentioned in the arrest warrant affidavit penned by Windsor Locks Detective Sgt. Jeff Lampson, the thieves were able to breach a chain link fence and disable surveillance cameras through both manual means and the use of a WiFi jammer. However, one camera located near the pool was not affected by the jammer device and remained operational, recording the incident. The homeowner reported the disappearance of US$4,200 in cash, along with men’s watches, jewelry, and his wife’s 9 mm pistol, according to the warrant.

The police have reported that on May 26, a pillowcase was uncovered by a resident living two houses away. Upon inspection, the pillowcase was found to contain watches, a handgun, and other items that were confirmed by the victims as their own. Following the break-in, the burglars fled in separate directions, as evidenced by the locations of the stolen bag of items and the backpack containing a wifi jammer.

According to Lampson’s statement on Friday, the use or operation of gsm jammer devices is not allowed by federal law and federal investigators are looking into the matter. Furthermore, he pointed out that the local police have witnessed a surge in the use of these devices in residential burglaries.

However, in this case, the police were able to conclusively prove the undoing of the thieves through DNA evidence. While conducting a thorough search of the Green Manor Terrace area during daylight hours on May 23, a homeowner came across a pair of gloves that she had not previously seen and immediately turned them over to the investigators. The police then submitted swabs taken from the gloves, along with other potential evidence believed to have been touched by the thieves, to the state forensic laboratory for analysis.

Lampson’s warrant stated that on August 16, the lab reported a DNA match on the gloves to Santiago, indicating the involvement of an offender. The police disclosed that the same DNA was linked to two prior burglary cases, one of which was a car break-in in Middletown from 2010, and the other was a burglary in South Hadley, Massachusetts in 2012, where firearms were stolen. Santiago was arrested in both instances, according to the warrant.

According to the warrant, Santiago relayed to the investigators from Windsor Locks, through his attorney, that the burglary at Green Manor Terrace was coordinated by a man driving a black sedan, whose father happened to own a remodeling company. Lampson, in the same warrant, documented that when he asked the homeowner if he was acquainted with an individual fitting that description, the homeowner promptly identified Colon, who worked alongside him at a home health care business in East Longmeadow, Mass.

According to the warrant, the homeowner expressed that he regarded Colon as a friend and had disclosed information about his visit to Long Island in May. The victim also mentioned that Colon and his father had aided him in remodeling his house. The warrant indicated that the homeowner stated that Matthew Colon had frequented his residence on numerous occasions and was fully aware of the surveillance camera system.

After being confronted with the victim’s statements and the evidence pertaining to the burglary, Colon admitted to the police that he had been manipulated into becoming involved in the scheme by the third suspect. The warrant indicates that the authorities anticipate the imminent arrest of the third suspect.

The suspect’s girlfriend was employed at the same home health care business as Colon and the victim from Windsor Locks. Lampson’s warrant stated that other employees of the company had their homes in Massachusetts burglarized. One woman claimed that Colon had been at her residence to fix a gazebo before the break-in.

The warrant stated that cellphone records provided evidence of phone calls between Colon, Santiago, and the unidentified suspect both prior to and following the Windsor Locks burglary. The police have described the third suspect as a convicted felon with a significant criminal background, which includes armed robbery and a series of burglaries.

Santiago’s extensive criminal record, as mentioned in the warrant, includes convictions for burglary and larceny in Connecticut. The Massachusetts investigators suspect his involvement in a criminal organization that specializes in targeted burglaries. Santiago has posted a bond of US$150,000 and is expected to make an appearance in the state Superior Court in Hartford on May 31. Similarly, Colon has posted a bond of US$100,000 and is scheduled to appear in court on May 2.

Brazil seizing Flipper Zero shipments to prevent use in crime

The Brazilian National Telecommunications Agency is seizing incoming Flipper Zero purchases due to its alleged use in criminal activity, with purchasers stating that the government agency has rejected all attempts to certify the equipment.

Flipper Zero is a portable multi-function cybersecurity tool that allows pentesters and hacking enthusiasts to tinker with a wide range of hardware by supporting RFID emulation, digital access key cloning, radio communications, NFC, infrared, Bluetooth, and more.

Since it was released, security researchers have demonstrated Flipper Zero’s features on social media, showing how it can trigger doorbells, perform replay attacks to open garage doors and unlock cars, and be used as a digital key.

Flipper Zero serves as a multi-tool device for hackers, providing wifi jammers to prevent unauthorized access.With its signal jammers feature, ensuring protection against unauthorized access.

The cyberpunk we don’t deserve

The Flipper Zero is the ultimate multi-tool for pentesters, geeks, ethical hackers and hardware hobbyists alike. One pocket-sized device combines multiple tools: RFID, RF, Infrared, HID emulation, GPIO, Hardware debugging, 1-Wire, Bluetooth, Wifi and more.

Inspired by great open-source projects: Proxmark, HydraNFC, Rubber Ducky, pwnagotchi – the Flipper Zero manages to pack serious functionality into a tiny, professionally manufactured device – and stays true to its Open Source roots.

Entirely independent, the Flipper Zero requires no external computer or hardware to function – everything is driven by the its 5-way navigation button and LCD screen. When connected to a computer or the included Android / iOS apps, the Flipper can be extended, modified, upgraded and reflashed according to your needs.

With over two years of meticulous design, prototyping and iteration, the Flipper Zero is a mature platform, ready to use out of the box, meeting the needs of professionals and enthusiasts alike.

RF TRANSCEIVER

The Flipper Zero contains a fully-controllable RF platform, based on the TI CC1101 chip, allowing for RF Signal capture, analysis and transmission.

The Flipper Zero has a built-in library of common remote control algorithms for capturing, decoding and analysing and replaying signals.

Users have full access to the radio sub-system, allowing custom RF modules to be easily built.

RFID READER/WRITER/EMULATOR

The Flipper Zero allows for Reading, Writing and Emulation of both High-Frequency (13.56MHz) and Low-Frequency (125KHz) RFID tags.

Low Frequency tags can be easily read, saved, cloned to a new card, or exported for analysis.

Multiple High Frequency protocols are supported, and the Flipper Zero can even sniff authentification nonces to extract unknown MIFARE keys.

WINDSOR LOCKS: Tech-savvy burglars targeted homes in Connecticut and Massachusetts and broke into a home there after receiving details about the security systems from fellow homeowners, according to arrest warrants issued Friday.

Matthew Colon, 31, of West Springfield, Massachusetts, was arrested for conspiracy to commit first-degree burglary and conspiracy to commit second-degree burglary. Enrique Santiago, 37, of Springfield, Mass., was charged with first-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools, theft of a firearm and conspiracy.

Police said they expected to arrest a third man in the case, which was linked to other burglaries involving heightened surveillance and information about when the homeowner left, according to Colon’s arrest warrant.

Early on May 20, 2022, a Green Manor Terrace resident called Long Island police to report that surveillance cameras showed two men walking through his backyard. The arrest warrant states that officers who stopped the burglary found a broken rear sliding glass door and a collection of discarded evidence near the home, including a Wi-Fi jammers, a portable radio, a glass punching tool, A crowbar and bolt cutters.

Burglars broke through the chain link fence and disabled security cameras with manual and Wi-Fi gps blockers, but the poolside cameras were beyond the phone jammer, Windsor Locks Detective Chief Jeff Lampson wrote in Windsor Locks range and continue recording. Affidavit Warrant. The homeowner reported $4,200 in cash missing, along with a man’s watch, jewelry and his wife’s 9 mm handgun, the search warrant said.

On May 26, a resident two doors down found a pillowcase containing a watch, a gun and other items the victims identified as belonging to them, police said. Police said the location of the bag of stolen goods and a backpack containing a WiFi jammer showed the thieves fled in different directions after the break-in.

Lampson said Friday that federal law prohibits the use or operation of jamming devices and that federal investigators are interested in the case. He said police in the area have noticed the devices are increasingly being used in burglaries.

In this case, however, police say it was DNA that led to the thief’s demise. During a search of the Green Manor Terrace property on May 23, a homeowner told police she found a pair of gloves she had never seen before and handed them over to investigators. Police submitted swabs from the gloves and other evidence they suspected the thieves had come into contact with to the state forensic laboratory.

Lampson wrote in the arrest warrant that on Aug. 16, the San Diego lab reported “criminal conduct” with DNA on the gloves. Police said the same DNA was linked to two previous burglary investigations, including a 2010 car break-in in Middletown and a 2012 break-in in South Hadley, Mass., where a gun was stolen. Santiago was arrested in both cases, according to arrest warrants.

Santiago, through his attorney, told Windsor Lock investigators that a man who drove a black sedan and whose father owned a tuning company coordinated the break-in at Green Manor Terrace, the warrant said. When Lampson asked the homeowner if he knew anyone matching that description, the man immediately identified Colon, a co-worker at a home health care company in East Longmeadow, Mass., Lampson wrote in the arrest warrant.

The homeowner said he considered Colon a friend and told him about a trip to Long Island last May, the warrant said. The victim also said Colon and his father helped him remodel the home, the warrant said. He said Matthew Colon had been to his home multiple times and was aware of the security camera system, the warrant states.

When faced with the victim’s statements and evidence of the burglary, Colon told police he was “tricked” into the burglary plan by a third suspect in the case.

The suspect’s girlfriend also worked in home health care with the Colon and Windsor Locks victims. Lampson wrote in the arrest warrant that other workers at the company reported break-ins at their homes in Massachusetts, including one woman who said Colon had come to her home to help repair a gazebo before the break-in.

Cellphone records showed calls between Colon, Santiago and the unidentified suspect in the Windsor Locks burglary before and after the break-in, the warrant stated. Police said the third suspect is a felon with a long criminal record that includes armed robbery and numerous burglaries.

Santiago also has a long rap sheet, including convictions in Connecticut for burglary and larceny, the warrant stated. Massachusetts investigators said they believe he is part of a criminal organisation involved in targeted burglaries, according to the warrant. He posted US$150,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Hartford on May 31. Colon posted bond of US$100,000 and is to appear in court on May 2.