Internet of Things for Architects

Chain Reaction

Chain Reaction is an academic study that shows a new breed of cyber attacks focused on PAN mesh networks which can be executed without any link to the internet. Additionally, it shows how vulnerable remote IoT sensor and control systems can be. The attack vector was Philips Hue light bulbs typically found in consumer homes that can be controlled by the internet and smartphone apps. The exploit can be scaled up to smart city attacks and initiated by simply inserting one single infected smart light.

Philips Hue lights use the Zigbee protocol to establish a mesh. Zigbee lighting systems fall under a program called the Zigbee Light Link (ZLL) to force a standard method for lighting interoperability. ZLL messages are not encrypted ...