Australian police officers can be tracked via taser and body-cam bluetooth

5 hours ago

Australian police officers' tasers and body-worn cameras have a security flaw that allows real-time tracking via Bluetooth MAC addresses.
The vulnerability stems from fixed MAC addresses on Axon devices, lacking privacy features like randomization found in smartphones.
A hacker demonstrated this using publicly available apps, detecting officers up to 400 meters away, risking ambushes or criminal exploitation.
Victoria Police received warnings in 2024 but dismissed the issue after consulting Axon, claiming no unauthorized access occurred.
Other Australian police agencies were informed but did not disclose actions taken or whether officers were notified of the risks.
Axon acknowledges the vulnerability in product disclaimers, stating Bluetooth/Wi-Fi signals can be detected, but cannot patch it due to hardware limitations.
Axon holds a monopoly on tasers and body-worn cameras globally, with significant contracts in Australia, raising concerns about police reliance on its technology.

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