Computerized eyewear users, say hello to visually delivered exploits.
To wit, Google has patched a vulnerability in its wearable Google Glass devices — best known for their optical, head-mounted displays with built-in cameras — that could be exploited via QR codes to hack into and take full control of the devices.
The vulnerability, discovered by Lookout Security, was serious because it could be silently exploited to fully compromise a Glass device simply by leaving a malicious QR code where a Google glass user might “see” it.
“Every time you take a photograph, Glass looks for data it can recognize — the most obvious are QR codes, a type of barcode that can contain everything from instructions to send an SMS or browse a website, to configuration information that change device settings,” said Marc Rogers, principal security researcher at mobile security firm Lookout, in a blog post. “Google took advantage of this capability to create an easy way for a user to configure their Glass without needing a keyboard.”