Pecial Nterest Roup
Pecial Nterest Roup
A
REPORT ON
BLUETOOTH
BY
NAMES ROLL.NO
RAHUL DERE 23
VIGNESH DALVI 22
NIKHIL GAICHOR 35
SATISH GAWDE 41
PUSHPENDER DEVAL 26
GAURAV KHADASANE 65
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT……………………………………… 1
ABSTRACT……………………………………………………. 2
BLUETOOTH………………………………………………….. 3
BLUETOOTH Vs WI FI……………………………………...... 5
COMPUTER REQUIREMENT………………………………... 6
FEATURES…………………………………………………….. 7
TECHNICAL INFORMATION……………………………….. 10
SECURITY…………………………………………………….. 15
CONCLUSION………………………………………………… 17
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
1
Abstract
2
Bluetooth
This article is about the electronic protocol. For the medieval King of Denmark, see Harald I of Denmark.
Bluetooth logo.
Bluetooth is an open wireless protocol for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices,
creating personal area networks (PANs). It was originally conceived as a wireless alternative to RS232 data
cables. It can connect several devices, overcoming problems of synchronization.
The Bluetooth logo is a bind rune merging the Germanic runes (Hagall) and (Berkanan).
Implementation
Bluetooth uses a radio technology called frequency-hopping spread spectrum, which chops up the data being
sent and transmits chunks of it on up to 79 frequencies. In its basic mode, the modulation is Gaussian frequency-
shift keying (GFSK). It can achieve a gross data rate of 1 Mb/s. Bluetooth provides a way to connect and
exchange information between devices such as mobile phones, telephones, laptops, personal computers,
printers, Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, digital cameras, and video game consoles through a secure,
globally unlicensed Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) 2.4 GHz short-range radio frequency bandwidth.
The Bluetooth specifications are developed and licensed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). The
Bluetooth SIG consists of companies in the areas of telecommunication, computing, networking, and consumer
electronics.[4]
Uses
Bluetooth is a standard and a communications protocol primarily designed for low power consumption, with a
short range (power-class-dependent: 1 meter, 10 meters, 100 meters) based on low-cost transceiver microchips
in each device.[5] Bluetooth makes it possible for these devices to communicate with each other when they are in
range. Because the devices use a radio (broadcast) communications system, they do not have to be in line of
sight of each other.
3
Class Range
Maximum Permitted Power
(approximate)
mW (dBm)
Class 1 100 mW (20 dBm) ~100 meters
Class 2 2.5 mW (4 dBm) ~10 meters
Class 3 1 mW (0 dBm) ~1 meter
In most cases the effective range of class 2 devices is extended if they connect to a class 1 transceiver, compared
to a pure class 2 network. This is accomplished by the higher sensitivity and transmission power of Class 1
devices.
Bluetooth profiles
In order to use Bluetooth, a device must be compatible with certain Bluetooth profiles. These define the possible
applications and uses of the technology.
List of applications
Wireless control of and communication between a mobile phone and a hands-free headset. This was one
of the earliest applications to become popular.
Wireless networking between PCs in a confined space and where little bandwidth is required.
Wireless communication with PC input and output devices, the most common being the mouse,
keyboard and printer.
Transfer of files, contact details, calendar appointments, and reminders between devices with OBEX.
Replacement of traditional wired serial communications in test equipment, GPS receivers, medical
equipment, bar code scanners, and traffic control devices.
For controls where infrared was traditionally used.
For low bandwidth applications where higher [USB] bandwidth is not required and cable-free
connection desired.
Sending small advertisements from Bluetooth-enabled advertising hoardings to other, discoverable,
Bluetooth devices[citation needed].
Wireless bridge between two Industrial Ethernet (e.g., PROFINET) networks.
Wi-Fi is intended for resident equipment and its applications. The category of applications is outlined as
WLAN, the wireless local area networks. Wi-Fi is intended as a replacement for cabling for general local area
network access in work areas.
Bluetooth is intended for non resident equipment and its applications. The category of applications is outlined as
the wireless personal area network (WPAN). Bluetooth is a replacement for cabling in a variety of personally
carried applications in any ambience.
Bluetooth devices
Bluetooth exists in many products, such as telephones, the Wii, PlayStation 3, PSP Go, Lego Mindstorms NXT
and recently in some high definition watches[citation needed], modems and headsets. The technology is useful when
transferring information between two or more devices that are near each other in low-bandwidth situations.
Bluetooth is commonly used to transfer sound data with telephones (i.e., with a Bluetooth headset) or byte data
with hand-held computers (transferring files).
Bluetooth protocols simplify the discovery and setup of services between devices. Bluetooth devices can
advertise all of the services they provide. This makes using services easier because more of the security,
network address and permission configuration can be automated than with many other network types.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is a traditional Ethernet network, and requires configuration to set up shared resources, transmit files, and
to set up audio links (for example, headsets and hands-free devices). Wi-Fi uses the same radio frequencies as
Bluetooth, but with higher power, resulting in a stronger connection. Wi-Fi is sometimes called "wireless
Ethernet." This description is accurate, as it also provides an indication of its relative strengths and weaknesses.
Wi-Fi requires more setup but is better suited for operating full-scale networks; it enables a faster connection,
better range from the base station, and better security than Bluetooth.
Computer requirements
A typical Bluetooth USB dongle.
A personal computer must have a Bluetooth adapter in order to communicate with other Bluetooth devices (such
as mobile phones, mice and keyboards). While some desktop computers and most recent laptops come with a
built-in Bluetooth adapter, others will require an external one in the form of a dongle.
Unlike its predecessor, IrDA, which requires a separate adapter for each device, Bluetooth allows multiple
devices to communicate with a computer over a single adapter.
Apple has supported Bluetooth since Mac OS X v10.2 which was released in 2002.[7]
For Microsoft platforms, Windows XP Service Pack 2 and later releases have native support for Bluetooth.
Previous versions required users to install their Bluetooth adapter's own drivers, which were not directly
supported by Microsoft.[8] Microsoft's own Bluetooth dongles (packaged with their Bluetooth computer devices)
have no external drivers and thus require at least Windows XP Service Pack 2.
Linux has two popular Bluetooth stacks, BlueZ and Affix. The BlueZ[9] stack is included with most Linux
kernels and was originally developed by Qualcomm. The Affix stack was developed by Nokia. FreeBSD
features Bluetooth support since its 5.0 release. NetBSD features Bluetooth support since its 4.0 release. Its
Bluetooth stack has been ported to OpenBSD as well.
has recently published a recommendations paper, entitled "Bluetooth Local Connectivity"; see external links
below to download this paper.
Specifications and features
The Bluetooth specification was developed in 1994 by Jaap Haartsen and Sven Mattisson, who were working
for Ericsson Mobile Platforms in Lund, Sweden.[10][citation needed] The specification is based on frequency-hopping
spread spectrum technology.
The specifications were formalized by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). The SIG was formally
announced on May 20, 1998. Today it has a membership of over 11,000 companies worldwide. It was
established by Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Toshiba, and Nokia, and later joined by many other companies.
Versions 1.0 and 1.0B had many problems, and manufacturers had difficulty making their products
interoperable. Versions 1.0 and 1.0B also included mandatory Bluetooth hardware device address (BD_ADDR)
transmission in the Connecting process (rendering anonymity impossible at the protocol level), which was a
major setback for certain services planned for use in Bluetooth environments.
Bluetooth 1.1
Bluetooth 1.2
This version is backward compatible with 1.1 and the major enhancements include the following:
Bluetooth 2.0
This version of the Bluetooth specification was released on November 10, 2004. It is backward compatible with
the previous version 1.2. The main difference is the introduction of an Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) for faster
data transfer. The nominal rate of EDR is about 3 megabits per second, although the practical data transfer rate
is 2.1 megabits per second.[11] The additional throughput is obtained by using a different radio technology for
transmission of the data. Standard, or Basic Rate, transmission uses Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying (GFSK)
modulation of the radio signal with a gross air data rate of 1 Mbit/s. EDR uses a combination of GFSK and
Phase Shift Keying modulation (PSK) with two variants, π/4-DQPSK and 8DPSK. These have gross air data
rates of 2, and 3 Mbit/s respectively. [12]
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) published the specification as "Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR" which implies
that EDR is an optional feature. Aside from EDR, there are other minor improvements to the 2.0 specification,
and products may claim compliance to "Bluetooth 2.0" without supporting the higher data rate. At least one
commercial device, the HTC TyTN Pocket PC phone, states "Bluetooth 2.0 without EDR" on its data sheet.[13]
Bluetooth 2.1
Bluetooth Core Specification Version 2.1 is fully backward compatible with 1.2, and was adopted by the
Bluetooth SIG on July 26, 2007.[12] This specification includes the following features:
Bluetooth 3.0
The 3.0 specification[12] was adopted by the Bluetooth SIG on April 21, 2009. Its main new feature is AMP
(Alternate MAC/PHY), the addition of 802.11 as a high speed transport. Two technologies had been anticipated
for AMP: 802.11 and UWB, but UWB is missing from the specification.[17]
Alternate MAC/PHY
Enables the use of alternative MAC and PHYs for transporting Bluetooth profile data. The Bluetooth
Radio is still used for device discovery, initial connection and profile configuration, however when lots
of data needs to be sent, the high speed alternate MAC PHY (802.11, typically associated with Wi-Fi)
will be used to transport the data. This means that the proven low power connection models of Bluetooth
are used when the system is idle, and the low power per bit radios are used when lots of data needs to be
sent.
Unicast connectionless data
Permits service data to be sent without establishing an explicit L2CAP channel. It is intended for use by
applications that require low latency between user action and reconnection/transmission of data. This is
only appropriate for small amounts of data.
Read encryption key size
Introduces a standard HCI command for a Bluetooth host to query the encryption key size on an
encrypted ACL link. The encryption key size used on a link is required for the SIM Access Profile, so
generally Bluetooth controllers provided this feature in a proprietary manner. Now the information is
available over the standard HCI interface.
On April 20, 2009, Bluetooth SIG presented the new Bluetooth low energy as an entirely additional protocol
stack, compatible with other existing Bluetooth protocol stacks. The preceding naming as Wibree and Bluetooth
ULP (Ultra Low Power) has been outdated by the final naming as Bluetooth low energy.
On June 12, 2007, Nokia and Bluetooth SIG had announced that Wibree will be a part of the Bluetooth
specification, as an ultra-low power Bluetooth technology.[18] Expected use cases include watches displaying
Caller ID information, sports sensors monitoring the wearer's heart rate during exercise, and medical devices.
The Medical Devices Working Group is also creating a medical devices profile and associated protocols to
enable this market. Bluetooth low energy technology is designed for devices to have a battery life of up to one
year.
Future
Broadcast channel
Enables Bluetooth information points. This will drive the adoption of Bluetooth into mobile phones, and
enable advertising models based around users pulling information from the information points, and not
based around the object push model that is used in a limited way today.
Topology management
Enables the automatic configuration of the piconet topologies especially in scatternet situations that are
becoming more common today. This should all be invisible to users of the technology, while also
making the technology "just work."
QoS improvements
Enable audio and video data to be transmitted at a higher quality, especially when best effort traffic is
being transmitted in the same piconet.
The high speed (AMP) feature of Bluetooth 3.0 is based on 802.11, but the AMP mechanism was designed to be
usable with other radios as well. It was originally intended for UWB, but the WiMedia Alliance, the body
responsible for the flavor of UWB intended for Bluetooth, announced in March 2009 that it was disbanding.
9
On March 16, 2009, the WiMedia Alliance announced it was entering into technology transfer agreements for
the WiMedia Ultra-wideband (UWB) specifications. WiMedia will transfer all current and future specifications,
including work on future high speed and power optimized implementations, to the Bluetooth Special Interest
Group (SIG), Wireless USB Promoter Group and the USB Implementers Forum. After the successful
completion of the technology transfer, marketing and related administrative items, the WiMedia Alliance will
cease operations.[19]
Technical information
Bluetooth protocol stack
"Bluetooth is defined as a layer protocol architecture consisting of core protocols, cable replacement protocols,
telephony control protocols, and adopted protocols."[20] Mandatory protocols for all Bluetooth stacks are: LMP,
L2CAP and SDP. Additionally, these protocols are almost universally supported: HCI and RFCOMM.
Used for control of the radio link between two devices. Implemented on the controller.
Used to multiplex multiple logical connections between two devices using different higher level protocols.
Provides segmentation and reassembly of on-air packets.
In Basic mode, L2CAP provides packets with a payload configurable up to 64kB, with 672 bytes as the default
MTU, and 48 bytes as the minimum mandatory supported MTU.
In Retransmission & Flow Control modes, L2CAP can be configured for reliable or isochronous data per
channel by performing retransmissions and CRC checks.
Bluetooth Core Specification Addendum 1 adds two additional L2CAP modes to the core specification. These
modes effectively deprecate original Retransmission and Flow Control modes:
Enhanced Retransmission Mode (ERTM): This mode is an improved version of the original
retransmission mode. This mode provides a reliable L2CAP channel.
Streaming Mode (SM): This is a very simple mode, with no retransmission or flow control. This mode
provides an unreliable L2CAP channel.
Reliability in any of these modes is optionally and/or additionally guaranteed by the lower layer Bluetooth
BDR/EDR air interface by configuring the number of retransmissions and flush timeout (time after which the
radio will flush packets). In-order sequencing is guaranteed by the lower layer.
Only L2CAP channels configured in ERTM or SM may be operated over AMP logical links.
Used to allow devices to discover what services each other support, and what parameters to use to connect to
them. For example, when connecting a mobile phone to a Bluetooth headset, SDP will be used to determine
which Bluetooth profiles are supported by the headset (Headset Profile, Hands Free Profile, Advanced Audio
Distribution Profile etc) and the protocol multiplexer settings needed to connect to each of them. Each service is
identified by a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID), with official services (Bluetooth profiles) assigned a short
form UUID (16 bits rather than the full 128)
10
HCI (Host/Controller Interface)
Standardised communication between the host stack (e.g., a PC or mobile phone OS) and the controller (the
Bluetooth IC). This standard allows the host stack or controller IC to be swapped with minimal adaptation.
There are several HCI transport layer standards, each using a different hardware interface to transfer the same
command, event and data packets. The most commonly used are USB (in PCs) and UART (in mobile phones
and PDAs).
In Bluetooth devices with simple functionality (e.g., headsets) the host stack and controller can be implemented
on the same microprocessor. In this case the HCI is optional, although often implemented as an internal
software interface.
Radio frequency communications (RFCOMM) is the cable replacement protocol used to create a virtual serial
data stream. RFCOMM provides for binary data transport and emulates EIA-232 (formerly RS-232) control
signals over the Bluetooth baseband layer.
RFCOMM provides a simple reliable data stream to the user, similar to TCP. It is used directly by many
telephony related profiles as a carrier for AT commands, as well as being a transport layer for OBEX over
Bluetooth.
Many Bluetooth applications use RFCOMM because of its widespread support and publicly available API on
most operating systems. Additionally, applications that used a serial port to communicate can be quickly ported
to use RFCOMM.
BNEP is used to transfer another protocol stack's data via an L2CAP channel. Its main purpose is the
transmission of IP packets in the Personal Area Networking Profile. BNEP performs a similar function to SNAP
in Wireless LAN.
Used by the remote control profile to transfer AV/C commands over an L2CAP channel. The music control
buttons on a stereo headset use this protocol to control the music player
Used by the advanced audio distribution profile to stream music to stereo headsets over an L2CAP channel.
Intended to be used by video distribution profile.
Telephony control protocol-binary (TCS BIN) is the bit-oriented protocol that defines the call control signaling
for the establishment of voice and data calls between Bluetooth devices. Additionally, "TCS BIN defines
mobility management procedures for handling groups of Bluetooth TCS devices."
TCS-BIN is only used by the cordless telephony profile, which failed to attract implementers. As such it is only
of historical interest.
11
Adopted protocols
Adopted protocols are defined by other standards-making organizations and incorporated into Bluetooth’s
protocol stack, allowing Bluetooth to create protocols only when necessary. The adopted protocols include:
A master Bluetooth device can communicate with up to seven devices in a Wireless User Group. This network
group of up to eight devices is called a piconet.
A piconet is an ad-hoc computer network, using Bluetooth technology protocols to allow one master device to
interconnect with up to seven active devices. Up to 255 further devices can be inactive, or parked, which the
master device can bring into active status at any time.
At any given time, data can be transferred between the master and one other device, however, the devices can
switch roles and the slave can become the master at any time. The master switches rapidly from one device to
another in a round-robin fashion. (Simultaneous transmission from the master to multiple other devices is
possible, but not used much.)
The Bluetooth specification allows connecting two or more piconets together to form a scatternet, with some
devices acting as a bridge by simultaneously playing the master role in one piconet and the slave role in another.
Many USB Bluetooth adapters are available, some of which also include an IrDA adapter. Older (pre-2003)
Bluetooth adapters, however, have limited services, offering only the Bluetooth Enumerator and a less-powerful
Bluetooth Radio incarnation. Such devices can link computers with Bluetooth, but they do not offer much in the
way of services that modern adapters do.
Setting up connections
Device name.
Device class.
List of services.
Technical information, for example, device features, manufacturer, Bluetooth specification used, clock
offset.
12
Any device may perform an inquiry to find other devices to connect to, and any device can be configured to
respond to such inquiries. However, if the device trying to connect knows the address of the device, it always
responds to direct connection requests and transmits the information shown in the list above if requested. Use of
a device's services may require pairing or acceptance by its owner, but the connection itself can be initiated by
any device and held until it goes out of range. Some devices can be connected to only one device at a time, and
connecting to them prevents them from connecting to other devices and appearing in inquiries until they
disconnect from the other device.
Every device has a unique 48-bit address. However these addresses are generally not shown in inquiries.
Instead, friendly Bluetooth names are used, which can be set by the user. This name appears when another user
scans for devices and in lists of paired devices.
Most phones have the Bluetooth name set to the manufacturer and model of the phone by default. Most phones
and laptops show only the Bluetooth names and special programs are required to get additional information
about remote devices. This can be confusing as, for example, there could be several phones in range named
T610 (see Bluejacking).
Pairing
Pairs of devices may establish a relationship by creating a shared secret known as a link key, this process is
known as pairing. If a link key is stored by both devices they are said to be bonded. A device that wants to
communicate only with a bonded device can cryptographically authenticate the identity of the other device, and
so be sure that it is the same device it previously paired with. Once a link key has been generated, an
authenticated ACL link between the devices may be encrypted so that the data that they exchange over the
airwaves is protected against eavesdropping. Link keys can be deleted at any time by either device, if done by
either device this will implicitly remove the bonding between the devices; so it is possible one of the device to
have a link key stored but not be aware that it is no longer bonded to the device associated with the given link
key.
Bluetooth services generally require either encryption or authentication, as such require pairing before they
allow a remote device to use the given service. Some services, such as the Object Push Profile, elect not to
explicitly require authentication or encryption so that pairing does not interfere with the user experience
associated with the service use-cases.
Pairing mechanisms have changed significantly with the introduction of Secure Simple Pairing in Bluetooth 2.1.
The following summarizes the pairing mechanisms:
Legacy pairing: This is the only method available before Bluetooth 2.1. Each device must enter a PIN
code, pairing is only successful if both devices enter the same PIN code. Any 16-byte UTF-8 string may
be used as a PIN code, however not all devices may be capable of entering all possible PIN codes.
o Limited input devices: The obvious example of this class of device is a Bluetooth Hands-free
headset, which generally have few inputs. These devices usually have a fixed PIN, for example
"0000" or "1234", that are hard-coded into the device.
o Numeric input devices: Mobile phones are classic examples of these devices. They allow a user
to enter a numeric value up to 16 digits in length.
o Alpha-numeric input devices: PCs and smartphones are examples of these devices. They allow
a user to enter full UTF-8 text as a PIN code. If pairing with a less capable device the user needs
to be aware of the input limitations on the other device, there is no mechanism available for a
capable device to determine how it should limit the available input a user may use.
13
Secure Simple Pairing: This is required by Bluetooth 2.1. A Bluetooth 2.1 device may only use legacy
pairing to interoperate with a 2.0 or earlier device. Secure Simple Pairing uses a form of public key
cryptography, and has the following modes of operation:
o Just works: As implied by the name, this method just works. No user interaction is required;
however, a device may prompt the user to confirm the pairing process. This method is typically
used by headsets with very limited IO capabilities, and is more secure than the fixed PIN
mechanism which is typically used for legacy pairing by this set of limited devices. This method
provides no man in the middle (MITM) protection.
o Numeric comparison: If both devices have a display and at least one can accept a binary Yes/No
user input, they may use Numeric Comparison. This method displays a 6-digit numeric code on
each device. The user should compare the numbers to ensure they are identical. If the comparison
succeeds, the user(s) should confirm pairing on the device(s) that can accept an input. This
method provides MITM protection, assuming the user confirms on both devices and actually
performs the comparison properly.
o Passkey Entry: This method may be used between a device with a display and a device with
numeric keypad entry (such as a keyboard), or two devices with numeric keypad entry. In the
first case, the display is used to show a 6-digit numeric code to the user, who then enters the code
on the keypad. In the second case, the user of each device enters the same 6-digit number. Both
cases provide MITM protection.
o Out of band (OOB): This method uses an external means of communication (such as NFC) to
exchange some information used in the pairing process. Pairing is completed using the Bluetooth
radio, but requires information from the OOB mechanism. This provides only the level of MITM
protection that is present in the OOB mechanism.
Security Concerns
Prior to Bluetooth 2.1, encryption is not required and can be turned off at any time. Moreover, the encryption
key is only good for approximately 23.5 hours; using a single encryption key longer than this time allows simple
XOR attacks to retrieve the encryption key.
Turning off encryption is required for several normal operations, so it is problematic to detect if
encryption is disabled for a valid reason or for a security attack.
Bluetooth 2.1 addresses this in the following ways:
o Encryption is required for all non SDP (Service Discovery Protocol) connections
o A new Encryption Pause and Resume feature is used for all normal operations requiring
encryption to be disabled. This enables easy identification of normal operation from security
attacks.
o The encryption key is required to be refreshed before it expires.
Link keys may be stored on the device file system, not on the Bluetooth chip itself. Many Bluetooth chip
manufacturers allow link keys to be stored on the device; however, if the device is removable this means that the
link key will move with the device.
14
Air interface
The protocol operates in the license-free ISM band at 2.4-2.4835 GHz. To avoid interfering with other protocols
that use the 2.45 GHz band, the Bluetooth protocol divides the band into 79 channels (each 1 MHz wide) and
changes channels up to 1600 times per second. Implementations with versions 1.1 and 1.2 reach speeds of
723.1 kbit/s. Version 2.0 implementations feature Bluetooth Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) and reach 2.1 Mbit/s.
Technically, version 2.0 devices have a higher power consumption, but the three times faster rate reduces the
transmission times, effectively reducing power consumption to half that of 1.x devices (assuming equal traffic
load).
Security
Overview
Bluetooth implements confidentiality, authentication and key derivation with custom algorithms based on the
SAFER+ block cipher. In Bluetooth, key generation is generally based on a Bluetooth PIN, which must be
entered into both devices. This procedure might be modified if one of the devices has a fixed PIN (e.g., for
headsets or similar devices with a restricted user interface). During pairing, an initialization key or master key is
generated, using the E22 algorithm.[21] The E0 stream cipher is used for encrypting packets, granting
confidentiality and is based on a shared cryptographic secret, namely a previously generated link key or master
key. Those keys, used for subsequent encryption of data sent via the air interface, rely on the Bluetooth PIN,
which has been entered into one or both devices.
In September 2008, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published a Guide to Bluetooth
Security that will serve as reference to organization on the security capabilities of Bluetooth and steps for
securing Bluetooth technologies effectively. While Bluetooth has its benefits, it is susceptible to denial of
service attacks, eavesdropping, man-in-the-middle attacks, message modification, and resource
misappropriation. Users/organizations must evaluate their acceptable level of risk and incorporate security into
the lifecycle of Bluetooth devices. To help mitigate risks, included in the NIST document are security checklists
with guidelines and recommendations for creating and maintaining secure Bluetooth piconets, headsets, and
smart card readers.[23]
Bluejacking
Bluejacking is the sending of either a picture or a message from one user to an unsuspecting user through
Bluetooth wireless technology. Common applications include short messages (e.g., "You’ve just been
bluejacked!"). [24] Bluejacking does not involve the removal or alteration of any data from the device.
2001
In 2001, Jakobsson and Wetzel from Bell Laboratories discovered flaws in the pairing protocol of Bluetooth,
and also pointed to vulnerabilities in the encryption scheme.
2003
In November 2003, Ben and Adam Laurie from A.L. Digital Ltd. discovered that serious flaws in Bluetooth
security may lead to disclosure of personal data.[26] It should be noted, however, that the reported security
problems concerned some poor implementations of Bluetooth, rather than the protocol itself.
15
In a subsequent experiment, Martin Herfurt from the trifinite.group was able to do a field-trial at the CeBIT
fairgrounds, showing the importance of the problem to the world. A new attack called BlueBug was used for his
experiment. This is one of a number of concerns that have been raised over the security of Bluetooth
communications.
2004
In 2004 the first purported virus using Bluetooth to spread itself among mobile phones appeared on the Symbian
OS.[28] The virus was first described by Kaspersky Lab and requires users to confirm the installation of unknown
software before it can propagate. The virus was written as a proof-of-concept by a group of virus writers known
as "29A" and sent to anti-virus groups. Thus, it should be regarded as a potential (but not real) security threat to
Bluetooth or Symbian OS since the virus has never spread outside of this system.
In August 2004, a world-record-setting experiment (see also Bluetooth sniping) showed that the range of Class 2
Bluetooth radios could be extended to 1.78 km (1.08 mile) with directional antennas and signal amplifiers.[29]
This poses a potential security threat because it enables attackers to access vulnerable Bluetooth-devices from a
distance beyond expectation. The attacker must also be able to receive information from the victim to set up a
connection. No attack can be made against a Bluetooth device unless the attacker knows its Bluetooth address
and which channels to transmit on.
2005
In January 2005, a mobile malware worm known as Lasco.A began targeting mobile phones using Symbian OS
(Series 60 platform) using Bluetooth-enabled devices to replicate itself and spread to other devices. The worm is
self-installing and begins once the mobile user approves the transfer of the file (velasco.sis ) from another
device. Once installed, the worm begins looking for other Bluetooth-enabled devices to infect. Additionally, the
worm infects other .SIS files on the device, allowing replication to another device through use of removable
media (Secure Digital, Compact Flash, etc.). The worm can render the mobile device unstable.[30]
In April 2005, Cambridge University security researchers published results of their actual implementation of
passive attacks against the PIN-based pairing between commercial Bluetooth devices, confirming the attacks to
be practicably fast and the Bluetooth symmetric key establishment method to be vulnerable. To rectify this
vulnerability, they carried out an implementation which showed that stronger, asymmetric key establishment is
feasible for certain classes of devices, such as mobile phones.[31]
In June 2005, Yaniv Shaked and Avishai Wool published a paper describing both passive and active methods
for obtaining the PIN for a Bluetooth link. The passive attack allows a suitably equipped attacker to eavesdrop
on communications and spoof, if the attacker was present at the time of initial pairing. The active method makes
use of a specially constructed message that must be inserted at a specific point in the protocol, to make the
master and slave repeat the pairing process. After that, the first method can be used to crack the PIN. This
attack's major weakness is that it requires the user of the devices under attack to re-enter the PIN during the
attack when the device prompts them to. Also, this active attack probably requires custom hardware, since most
commercially available Bluetooth devices are not capable of the timing necessary.[32]
In August 2005, police in Cambridgeshire, England, issued warnings about thieves using Bluetooth-enabled
phones to track other devices left in cars. Police are advising users to ensure that any mobile networking
connections are de-activated if laptops and other devices are left in this way.[33]
2006
In April 2006, researchers from Secure Network and F-Secure published a report that warns of the large number
of devices left in a visible state, and issued statistics on the spread of various Bluetooth services and the ease of
spread of an eventual Bluetooth worm.
16
SUMMERY
Bluetooth has a lot to offer with an increasingly difficult market place. Bluetooth helps to bring with it the
promise of freedom from the cables and simplicity in networking that has yet to be matched by LAN (Local
Area Network).
•In the key marketplace, of wireless and handheld devices, theclosest competitor to Bluetooth is infrared.
Infrared holds many key features, although the line of sight it provides doesn't gothrough walls or through
obstacles like that of the Bluetooth technology.
•Unlike infrared, Bluetooth isn't a line of sight and it providesranges of up to 100 meters. Bluetooth is also low
power and low processing with an overhead protocol. What this means, is that its ideal for integration into
small battery powered devices.
CONCLUSION
Although there are very few disadvantages, Bluetooth still remains the best for short range wireless technology.
This Bluetooth technology will make a great evolution in the communication field.
17