Just reread it and no, it’s not a BT vulnerability. The “erase flash” command is something that has to be done by software running outside the BT stack. You can even see that inside the slides. The UsbBluetooth software is connected to the device with the flawed bluetooth chipset.

The vulnerability is that if you have this chipset and compromised software, someone can flash the chipset with compromised flash. They even say that it’s not an easy attack to pull off in the article.

In general, though, physical access to the device’s USB or UART interface would be far riskier and a more realistic attack scenario.

In otherwords, the attack is something that can only be pulled off if there’s also a security vulnerability within other parts of the hardware stack.

I just re-read the article and yes, you still need physical access.

The exploit is one that bypasses OS protections to writing to the firmware. In otherwords, you need to get the device to run a malicious piece of code or exploit a vulnerability in already running code that also interacts with the bluetooth stack.

The exploit, explicitly, is not one that can be carried out with a drive-by Bluetooth connection. You also need faulty software running on the device.

I think we are basically already there with ESPs :D.

Security wise, unless you are being specifically targeted by someone, you are almost certainly fine. And if you are being specifically targeted, I think someone hacking your ESPs is the least of your worries. A malicious attacker that knows your physical location can do a lot more scary things than just spying through ESPs.

You’re fine. This isn’t something that can be exploited over wifi. You literally need physical access to the device to exploit it as it’s commands over USB that allow flashing the chip.

This is a security firm making everything sound scary because they want you to buy their testing device.

No, it’s not nuanced.

The context is what you said, that he thinks empathy is being used to allow too many brown people in the country. Why are you trying to act like there’s a deeper meaning or nuance?

It’s also patently dumb. The US built a huge portion of it’s empire and hegemony using empathy. USAID is the perfect example of it. By spending relatively small amount of money on humanitarian aid in poorer nations we secured land, treaties, and support that locked us into power and other nations out.

Empathy is a powerful weapon for a world power to have and use.

What’s dumb is throwing out empathy and instead saying “Actually, fuck every other nation, we will take care of ourselves”. That is what will lead to the collapse of “western civilization”. What’s dumb is eliminating empathy in terms of social services all in order to enrich a small powerful lordship. That collapses western civilization.

The lie that is being perpetuated is that the US is in danger of going bankrupt any minute now because of empathy. There is a huge mountain of wealth waiting to be tapped that isn’t because of bad economics policies of the 80s.

Empathy brings stability, prosperity, and wealth. Ditching empathy is the fast path to destroying a civilization.

if money had an expiration date.

That’d just lead into investment into non-monetary things. For example, buying precious metals or bonds or stocks or property and selling them as needed.

To actually fix problems with wealth disparity, you need a wealth or property tax.

This is mythical thinking. Frankly, there’s just not that many products that need inventing, particularly that need a factory. We are past the era where a revolutionary bread slicer will change society. Most of the actual advancements we are seeing come from grants into general scientific research. Not from some lone Einstein with a vision.

What actually is happening is some of these discoveries are very good and they ultimately get scooped up and patented by some corporate entity that thought the research was marketable.

Recognizing that reality, that innovation basically never comes from the founders of a company, should really lead you to understand what’s broken about the US economy.

It’s very frustrating.

What I’ve seen when I bring what’s happening up to family members step one is denial “oh he’s not doing that” step 2 is defend “well it’s probably for the best, kids do yern for the mines”.

Nothing is convincing.

Sort of my feelings here. This isn’t like the FBI or CIA that actively go around trying to fuck people over. Airports wouldn’t function if they acted like that and politicians LOVE to fly.

But also, the TSA is a place we need to defund and mostly dismantle. There’s no reason an airport needs so much security theater other than it makes rich people feel good. They need about as much security as a subway does (not much).

That said, they aren’t first on my list for “defund the police”. That honor belongs to ICE.

Trump didn’t promise to keep the tarrifs lifted, only to pause them. You are correct that it’s insane to have a continual 30 day “will he won’t he” tension.

I hate that my syrup is about to get more expensive, but it’s really the right thing for Canada to do.