You can eavesdrop on people through a vape detector

At the Defcon conference, two hackers - Reynaldo Vasquez-Garcia, 16, and his partner, Nyx - demonstrated critical security issues with the Halo 3C vape detector, which is installed in school toilets and offices. The device, which looks like a smoke detector, has a microphone that constantly analyses sounds and can detect screams and critical keywords (such as "Help" or "911").

What the hackers did:

By hacking into the device via the same Wi-Fi network, they gained administrative access. By installing their own firmware, they were able to:

• Turn the device into a bug that records audio in real time
• Disable the emergency detection function
• Simulate false alarms on the contrary
• Play any sound through the Halo speaker

Motorola has since released a firmware update, but hackers believe that the presence of a microphone and constant network connection still pose a risk that cannot be solved simply by updating.

Why it is dangerous

The Halo 3C is advertised as a smart detector for secure areas where video or audio recording is not allowed. Motorola claims that the device is only activated by certain keycodes. Nevertheless, hackers have proven that the detector can easily be turned into a microphone and is especially dangerous when installed in school toilets and offices, including those of government or defence companies.