Breaking And Entering: Hackers Say “Smart” Homes Are Easy Targets

Researchers presented at Black Hat uncovered serious security weaknesses across smart-home products: a Z‑Wave key exchange vulnerability enabling interception and device impersonation, authentication and cloud-forwarding flaws in the Vera Lite controller, and a hardcoded Bluetooth password in a smart toilet. The findings highlight pervasive poor security practices in home automation that could permit remote takeover of locks, sensors, HVAC and other appliances, increasing risks of unauthorized access and physical harm.