Vulnerabilities in Alexa allowed hackers to access users' personal info, voice history

Amazon's Echo smart speakers, which has sold over 200 million units globally, are powered by Alexa, which is capable of voice interaction, setting alerts, music playback, and controlling smart devices in a home automation system.

Users can extend Alexa’s capabilities by installing ‘skills’, which are voice-driven apps.

However, the personal information stored in users’ Alexa accounts and the device’s use as a home automation controller makes them an attractive target for hackers.

Check Point said its researchers demonstrated how the vulnerabilities they found in certain Amazon/Alexa subdomains could be exploited by a hacker crafting and sending a malicious link to a target user, which appears to come from Amazon.  If the user clicks the link, the attacker can then:

Access a victim’s personal information, such as banking data history, usernames, phone numbers and home address

Extract a victim’s voice history with their Alexa

Silently install skills (apps) on a user’s Alexa account

View the entire skill list of an Alexa user’s account

Silently remove an installed skill

"Smart speakers and virtual assistants are so commonplace that it’s easy to overlook just how much personal data they hold, and their role in controlling other smart devices in our homes," said Oded Vanunu, Head of Products Vulnerabilities Research at Check Point.

"But hackers see them as entry points into peoples’ lives, giving them the opportunity to access data, eavesdrop on conversations or conduct other malicious actions without the owner being aware," he added.

Vanunu said that the research was conducted to highlight how "securing these devices is critical to maintaining users’ privacy".

"Thankfully, Amazon responded quickly to our disclosure to close off these vulnerabilities on certain Amazon/Alexa subdomains. We hope manufacturers of similar devices will follow Amazon’s example and check their products for vulnerabilities that could compromise users’ privacy," he said.

Check Point has previously conducted research on TikTok, WhatsApp and Fortnite.

"Alexa has concerned us for a while now, given its ubiquity and connection to IoT devices. It’s these mega digital platforms that can hurt us the most. Therefore, their security levels are of crucial importance," Vanunu said.