Philips Hue vulnerability lets hacker control bulbs, could escalate to network

Internet enabled lights sounds like a horrible idea but this dude really got me thinking. Such a wonderful idea. Can it be done without a smartphone app though?

https://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=15716386&cid=59693220

My wife uses one of those wake up lights that slowly increases light in the morning, helps her wake up easily. Also is standalone so no connection needed.

For bulbs I did that with my hue lights when I was using them, i moved so currently they arent setup. It was quite nice to relax in evenings with the warmer light. My desk lamp has 3 light settings so i can also set it for warm in the evening.
 
My wife uses one of those wake up lights that slowly increases light in the morning, helps her wake up easily. Also is standalone so no connection needed.

For bulbs I did that with my hue lights when I was using them, i moved so currently they arent setup. It was quite nice to relax in evenings with the warmer light. My desk lamp has 3 light settings so i can also set it for warm in the evening.

We have 3 lights sources in the living room. We only have the one on the far side to where we usually are during the evenings. TV is also on a dark cinema profile. Got that covered but waking up to sunlight sounds great. Do I need white walls?
 
We have 3 lights sources in the living room. We only have the one on the far side to where we usually are during the evenings. TV is also on a dark cinema profile. Got that covered but waking up to sunlight sounds great. Do I need white walls?

Shouldnt need them

She uses a cheap copy of this

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/philip...vFgyDuGTOd4ISLsp99IaAgOFEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

But it slowly lights up over like an hour or so, and then slowly turns up the sounds of birds chirping as its alarm.

For the hue lights, it can function without internet access and all you would need are the hue lux bulbs (which are just temperature ranges of white). Could also go the route of bluetooth controlled bulbs and I am sure you could do something with IFTTT.
 
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This is why I’ve been using the Bitdefender Box lately. It lets me know if something odd is happening like if a WiFi-connected toaster is trying to communicate with a computer.
 
And actually just found out about the Philips SceneSwitch bulbs. I might check those out.

Apparently it is just a led bulb that when you flick it off and back on real quick it changes to a different warmth of light. Remembers last settings. No extra hardware needed.
 
since IoT is all the hotness loads of incompetent household companies are trying to be tech companies. its nonsense. a lightbulb has no business being on your network, it doesnt need to be its own entity in home automation. other devices can do that much better. just another example of the future being worse in every conceivable aspect of life except healthcare.
 
While its nice that this is fixed with a controller node firmware update, I think its a good time to mention that most IoT software (and sometimes firmware) are proprietary and have glaring security and privacy issues. Cue the tons of video doorbells that cannot be officially/easily contained on a LAN but instead send everything out to Amazon/Google/et al servers and you use their app to connect and pull the data back down.

I suggest looking into open source home automation alternatives, such as OpenHAB ( https://www.openhab.org/ ) which can connect to and manage items on most standards! Alternately, for those who want voice control look into Mycroft ( https://mycroft.ai/) which has a lot of great features and is developing very nicely as an alternative to Alexa, Google Assistant etc. Thse Free software/libre alternatives tend to minimize the attack surface and update to fix bugs quickly, as well as being just better for your privacy.
 
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LOL at people who don’t like IoT.

Crockpot, bulbs, sous vida, light switch and plugs.

life is easy.
 
Muh first world problems. Imagine being so lazy that you'd pay 1000x premium for a light bulb that you can turn on from a phone.
 
Muh first world problems. Imagine being so lazy that you'd pay 1000x premium for a light bulb that you can turn on from a phone.
Imagine a place where you can’t update the wiring but can use an out of the box solution to solve stupid old electrical light switch miss placement.
IOT fixes common issues with rentals without any issues.
Plus bulbs haven’t been that cheap since CFLs we’re banned locally but I’ve found a lot of use for IOT bulbs— I prefer the expensive ones though.
 
Imagine a place where you can’t update the wiring but can use an out of the box solution to solve stupid old electrical light switch miss placement.
IOT fixes common issues with rentals without any issues.
Plus bulbs haven’t been that cheap since CFLs we’re banned locally but I’ve found a lot of use for IOT bulbs— I prefer the expensive ones though.
Call me crazy but I've never seen a light switch that was harder to get to than taking out a phone unlocking it and finding an app, and then finding the proper light in the app.
 
Call me crazy but I've never seen a light switch that was harder to get to than taking out a phone unlocking it and finding an app, and then finding the proper light in the app.

Mine were set to turn on when i opened the front door, all the lights set to turn off when both my wife and i were not on the property. In the case of my kitchen, the light switch is on the other end of it, so you have to walk through the entire thing to get to it. Some people who build houses are dumb lol.
 
Call me crazy but I've never seen a light switch that was harder to get to than taking out a phone unlocking it and finding an app, and then finding the proper light in the app.
Yeah, no.
B588C0EE-9DD0-49B8-9895-3FB41E5C2CC4.jpeg
 
That's a regular light switch in function. Dimming is nothing new. Yeah, I know it's wireless, but the bulb is already wired to get power so... Nope, you won't sell me a $200 light bulb.
But you have to pull out your phone and open an app you said.
Make up your mind. Pro tip you buy them on sale and they cost a lot less surprisingly affordable actually. Slickdeals.
 
LOL at people who don’t like IoT.

Crockpot, bulbs, sous vida, light switch and plugs.

life is easy.

Sure, right up until your sous vide starts mining bitcoin for Romanians, your crockpot is part of a spam-distributing botnet and your light switch put ransomware on all your PCs.
 
Banned in some states now.

First I'd heard of it. But I was addressing the point about cheap bulbs no longer being available. Sure, they're not as cheap as they used to be, but they're still there.
 
Dear "Smart" IOT device creators:

Everyone I know NOT in IT is NOT going to patch their light bulb, fridge, dishwasher, sprinkler system, self driving car, or other "smart" device. They are also most likely going to use them until the devices die, no matter if that is 10 or 20 years or even longer. If you don't make them auto patching/secure in the first place and/or if you retire the dependent cloud services because the device you sold them are "No longer supported", they most likely will write off your brand & never buy anything from you again.

Sincerely,

an IT guy.
 
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people still buy incandescents on purpose?

The heat they give off has use in some cases. Seen those pictures of LED traffic lights covered in snow, because the LEDs don't heat up enough to melt it?
 
The heat they give off has use in some cases. Seen those pictures of LED traffic lights covered in snow, because the LEDs don't heat up enough to melt it?

Seen a lot more bulb burnt out traffic lights when driving around. :p

I have a friend that prefers the light they give off...

Fair enough, i get the warm white for table lamps and the brighter whites for my recessed lights.
 
First I'd heard of it. But I was addressing the point about cheap bulbs no longer being available. Sure, they're not as cheap as they used to be, but they're still there.
Been banned since 1/1/2018. But I don’t live in a ‘free’ state.

Fun fact I have to buy certain models of even hues for my state lol.
 
LED is pretty close to the 'cheap' incandescent listed above: https://www.samsclub.com/p/9w-sw-led-a19-8pk/prod21124694?xid=plp_product_1_4
As long as you pick up in store. Have seen similar prices in other non membership box stores. And yes, I laid in a stock of incandescent bulbs before the deadlines on normal sales. Still a few places where they are a better fit, like the vent hood above the stove.

I haven't seen enough advantages in the 'smart' bulbs or other smart crap to justify the risks from the every week or so discovered vulnerablility or the every month or so announcement that some family of 'smart' stuff is being declared End of Life.
 
LED is pretty close to the 'cheap' incandescent listed above

Yeah, Walmart seems to have been pushing the price of LED bulbs down. Personally I like the whiter light of them for, say, reading lamps.
 
LED is pretty close to the 'cheap' incandescent listed above: https://www.samsclub.com/p/9w-sw-led-a19-8pk/prod21124694?xid=plp_product_1_4
As long as you pick up in store. Have seen similar prices in other non membership box stores. And yes, I laid in a stock of incandescent bulbs before the deadlines on normal sales. Still a few places where they are a better fit, like the vent hood above the stove.

I haven't seen enough advantages in the 'smart' bulbs or other smart crap to justify the risks from the every week or so discovered vulnerablility or the every month or so announcement that some family of 'smart' stuff is being declared End of Life.
I'm not sure what vulnerabilities matter in light bulbs, despite the FUD I read I've never had someone turn them off for me or watch me undress using them....

Guess the fears are unfounded.
 
you mean the best lightbulbs for pretty much any situation?

yep they sure do.

LOL aww grandpa you are adorable!

What actually is the advantage when lighting is the need? They waste most of the provided energy as heat.
 
LOL aww grandpa you are adorable!

What actually is the advantage when lighting is the need? They waste most of the provided energy as heat.
incandescent street lights are not directional like leds

the color of light is more pleasant than the white pink blue or yellow led and cfl have.

also who cares about the heat? are you going to have 75 of them in a room?

change for the sake of change is retarded.
 
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