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Researchers at internet of things company Armis Labs warn that more than 5.3 billion devices with Bluetooth signals are at risk of a "highly infectious" malware attack: that's most of the estimated 8.2 billion devices that use Bluetooth, which allows for our gadgets to connect and communicate wirelessly. The attack, BlueBorne, can spread without the victim doing anything or noticing it. All hackers need to spread malware is for their victims' devices to have Bluetooth turned on.
Google, Microsoft, and Apple have released patches for the vulnerability. Apple confirmed that BlueBorne is not an issue for its mobile operating system, iOS 10, or later, but Armis noted that all iOS devices with 9.3.5 or older versions are vulnerable. Microsoft released a patch for its computers in July, and anybody who updated would be protected automatically, a spokesman said. Google said Android partners received the patch in early August, but it's up to the carriers to release the updates. Pixel devices have already received the updates.
Google, Microsoft, and Apple have released patches for the vulnerability. Apple confirmed that BlueBorne is not an issue for its mobile operating system, iOS 10, or later, but Armis noted that all iOS devices with 9.3.5 or older versions are vulnerable. Microsoft released a patch for its computers in July, and anybody who updated would be protected automatically, a spokesman said. Google said Android partners received the patch in early August, but it's up to the carriers to release the updates. Pixel devices have already received the updates.