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Incident 842: Reportedly Hacked AI-Powered Robot Vacuums Allegedly Used for Surveillance and Harassment

Description: Hackers reportedly exploited a vulnerability in Ecovacs’s Deebot X2 robot vacuums, gaining unauthorized access to camera and microphone controls. Users reported privacy invasions and offensive language broadcasted through the devices. Although Ecovacs claimed to have resolved the security flaw, researchers suggest vulnerabilities remain that could potentially leave users exposed to surveillance and harassment through their AI-enabled devices.
Editor Notes: Reconstructing the timeline of events: (1) December 2023: Cybersecurity researchers Dennis Giese and Braelynn Luedtke reportedly reveal a security flaw in Ecovacs Deebot X2 at a hacking conference. The flaw, they claim, involves an insecure PIN system and Bluetooth vulnerability, and was reported to Ecovacs prior to going public. (2) May 24, 2024: Minnesota lawyer Daniel Swenson’s Deebot X2 is reported to have been hacked, allegedly emitting racial slurs and controlled remotely in his home. The same day, another hacked Deebot X2 reportedly chases a dog in Los Angeles while allegedly projecting offensive language. (3) May 29, 2024: In El Paso, Texas, another Deebot X2 is reported to have been hacked, allegedly yelling obscenities at the owner until unplugged. (4) October 10, 2024: An ABC Australia report presents confirmation of the hackability of the Deebot X2 and explaining the ongoing risk posed by the security flaws. Ecovacs responds to the incidents and attributes them to credential stuffing and denying a system breach. Ecovacs promises a security upgrade for the X2 series in November 2024. The Ecovacs statement can be read here: https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au/d22cf5c9f95808b90a58ccae58a05b76.

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Alleged: Ecovacs developed an AI system deployed by Ecovacs Deebot X2 and Ecovacs, which harmed Ecovacs customers , Ecovacs Deebot X2 users and Daniel Swenson.

Incident Stats

Incident ID
842
Report Count
16
Incident Date
2024-05-24
Editors
Applied Taxonomies
MIT

MIT Taxonomy Classifications

Machine-Classified
Taxonomy Details

Risk Subdomain

A further 23 subdomains create an accessible and understandable classification of hazards and harms associated with AI
 

2.2. AI system security vulnerabilities and attacks

Risk Domain

The Domain Taxonomy of AI Risks classifies risks into seven AI risk domains: (1) Discrimination & toxicity, (2) Privacy & security, (3) Misinformation, (4) Malicious actors & misuse, (5) Human-computer interaction, (6) Socioeconomic & environmental harms, and (7) AI system safety, failures & limitations.
 
  1. Privacy & Security

Entity

Which, if any, entity is presented as the main cause of the risk
 

Human

Timing

The stage in the AI lifecycle at which the risk is presented as occurring
 

Post-deployment

Intent

Whether the risk is presented as occurring as an expected or unexpected outcome from pursuing a goal
 

Intentional

Incident Reports

Reports Timeline

Incident Occurrence+13
Hackers take control of robot vacuums in multiple cities, yell racial slurs - ABC News
+1
Robot Vacuum Starts Hurling Racial Slurs at Its Owner After Being Hacked
Hackers take control of robot vacuums in multiple cities, yell racial slurs - ABC News

Hackers take control of robot vacuums in multiple cities, yell racial slurs - ABC News

abc.net.au

Hacked Robot Vacuums Across the U.S. Started Yelling Slurs

Hacked Robot Vacuums Across the U.S. Started Yelling Slurs

gizmodo.com

Hacked Ecovacs robot vacuums go berserk yelling racial slurs and chasing dogs

Hacked Ecovacs robot vacuums go berserk yelling racial slurs and chasing dogs

cybernews.com

Robot Vacuums Hacked to Shout Slurs at Their Owners

Robot Vacuums Hacked to Shout Slurs at Their Owners

vice.com

Hackers turn robot vacs across the US into obscenity-yelling machines

Hackers turn robot vacs across the US into obscenity-yelling machines

androidauthority.com

Hacked U.S. robot vacuums are yelling racial slurs, chasing pets

Hacked U.S. robot vacuums are yelling racial slurs, chasing pets

globalnews.ca

Robot vacuums yell obscenities at owners after hackers take control

Robot vacuums yell obscenities at owners after hackers take control

boingboing.net

Hackers hijack Ecovacs robot vacuums to shout racial slurs and chase pets — what you need to know

Hackers hijack Ecovacs robot vacuums to shout racial slurs and chase pets — what you need to know

tomsguide.com

Hackers took over robovacs to chase pets and yell slurs

Hackers took over robovacs to chase pets and yell slurs

theverge.com

Hacked robot vacuums shout racial slurs, expose major security flaws

Hacked robot vacuums shout racial slurs, expose major security flaws

tribune.com.pk

Hackers Made Robot Vacuums Shout Racist Slurs in Their Owners’ Homes

Hackers Made Robot Vacuums Shout Racist Slurs in Their Owners’ Homes

pcmag.com

Robot vacuum cleaners yell racial slurs, chase pets after cyber attack

Robot vacuum cleaners yell racial slurs, chase pets after cyber attack

cyberdaily.au

Robots In US Start Shouting Racial Slurs At Consumers After Hackers Make The Device Malfunction

Robots In US Start Shouting Racial Slurs At Consumers After Hackers Make The Device Malfunction

news.abplive.com

Hacked robo-vacuums chase owners, yell slurs

Hacked robo-vacuums chase owners, yell slurs

newsnationnow.com

Robot Vacuum Starts Hurling Racial Slurs at Its Owner After Being Hacked

Robot Vacuum Starts Hurling Racial Slurs at Its Owner After Being Hacked

futurism.com

Hacked robot vacuums hurl racial slurs at shocked owners, who react with ‘fear, disgust’

Hacked robot vacuums hurl racial slurs at shocked owners, who react with ‘fear, disgust’

nypost.com

Hackers take control of robot vacuums in multiple cities, yell racial slurs - ABC News
abc.net.au · 2024

Robot vacuums in multiple US cities were hacked in the space of a few days, with the attacker physically controlling them and yelling obscenities through their onboard speakers.

The affected robots were all Chinese-made Ecovacs Deebot X2s —…

Hacked Robot Vacuums Across the U.S. Started Yelling Slurs
gizmodo.com · 2024

It’s a tale as old as… well, the Internet of Things era. Robot vacuums made by Ecovacs have been reported roving around people’s homes, yelling profanities at them through the onboard speakers after the company’s software was found to be vu…

Hacked Ecovacs robot vacuums go berserk yelling racial slurs and chasing dogs
cybernews.com · 2024

Robot vacuum owners in multiple US cities have reported their devices being hacked. Strangers are accessing live camera feeds and remote control features, yelling slurs through the onboard speakers. Some robots went rogue, chasing dogs arou…

Robot Vacuums Hacked to Shout Slurs at Their Owners
vice.com · 2024

Ecovacs’s robot vacuums are apparently quite easy to hack. The Chinese company has a long history of security breaches that allow nefarious folks with ill intent to do whatever they want with the lil’ suckers, like spying on its owners with…

Hackers turn robot vacs across the US into obscenity-yelling machines
androidauthority.com · 2024

TL;DR

  • Multiple ECOVACS Deebot X2 robot vacuums were reportedly hacked in cities across the US.
  • It’s claimed that the hacked robots did everything from yelling slurs at owners to chasing pets.
  • Security researchers had notified the company t…
Hacked U.S. robot vacuums are yelling racial slurs, chasing pets
globalnews.ca · 2024

The robots appear to be turning on us, although not in the post-apocalyptic way we’ve long imagined.

Robot vacuum owners in multiple U.S. cities have reported their cleaning machines have been hacked, with one man reporting that his vacuum …

Robot vacuums yell obscenities at owners after hackers take control
boingboing.net · 2024

Hacked robot vacuum machines began spouting obscenities and slurs this week after an exploit allowed hackers to take remote control of them.

Through the Ecovacs app, he saw that a stranger was accessing its live camera feed and remote cont…

Hackers hijack Ecovacs robot vacuums to shout racial slurs and chase pets — what you need to know
tomsguide.com · 2024

One of the handiest functions of smart home devices is the ability to check in on them remotely when you’re not at home. But remote access can create a significant security vulnerability, as demonstrated by a recent spate of hacks of a popu…

Hackers took over robovacs to chase pets and yell slurs
theverge.com · 2024

Someone gained access to Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni robotic vacuums across several US cities earlier this year and used them to chase pets and yell racist slurs at their owners, reported ABC News in Australia this week.

The outlet spoke with mu…

Hacked robot vacuums shout racial slurs, expose major security flaws
tribune.com.pk · 2024

In a bizarre and disturbing series of events, robot vacuums manufactured by Chinese company Ecovacs have been hacked across multiple US cities, with the devices spewing racial slurs at their owners.

The affected vacuums, specifically the De…

Hackers Made Robot Vacuums Shout Racist Slurs in Their Owners’ Homes
pcmag.com · 2024

Hackers took control of robot vacuums across the US earlier this year, allegedly making them shout racist obscenities in their owners' homes. 

Daniel Swenson, a lawyer based in Minnesota, tells Australia's ABC News that his cleaning robot c…

Robot vacuum cleaners yell racial slurs, chase pets after cyber attack
cyberdaily.au · 2024

A threat actor has hacked robot vacuums in US households, causing them to torment household pets and shout racial slurs.

According to an ABC report, the hacker took remote control of several Ecovacs Deebot X2s before using its live camera f…

Robots In US Start Shouting Racial Slurs At Consumers After Hackers Make The Device Malfunction
news.abplive.com · 2024

Cyberattacks have evolved over the years, and they get more and more dangerous. Hackers find new ways to disrupt the lives of citizens. A recent example of the same has surfaced on the internet in which robot vacuums were hacked and made to…

Hacked robo-vacuums chase owners, yell slurs
newsnationnow.com · 2024

Robot vacuums manufactured by Ecovacs have gone rogue, with some customers reporting the tiny tech tools chased them around their homes and barraged them with profanities after being hacked.

Minnesota lawyer Daniel Swenson is one of those p…

Robot Vacuum Starts Hurling Racial Slurs at Its Owner After Being Hacked
futurism.com · 2024

Hackers were able to gain control of camera-equipped robot vacuums around the United States — and at least one of them forced the cleaning robots to yell racist obscenities.

As ABC Australia reports, owners of Ecovacs' Deebot X2 robot vacuu…

Hacked robot vacuums hurl racial slurs at shocked owners, who react with ‘fear, disgust’
nypost.com · 2024

These vacuums had no filter.

U.S. homeowners were shocked when their Chinese-made robot vacuums were hijacked and rewired to bombard them with racial slurs.

The racist hack attack affected Ecovacs Deebot X2s — a brand that’s manufactured in…

Variants

A "variant" is an incident that shares the same causative factors, produces similar harms, and involves the same intelligent systems as a known AI incident. Rather than index variants as entirely separate incidents, we list variations of incidents under the first similar incident submitted to the database. Unlike other submission types to the incident database, variants are not required to have reporting in evidence external to the Incident Database. Learn more from the research paper.

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