Ethical Hacking News
As humanoid robots become increasingly sophisticated and widespread, experts warn of a looming security threat that could disrupt society. With 3 billion units expected to be in use by 2060, the need for secure protocols and measures is urgent.
The number of humanoid robots expected to be in use by 2060 is 3 billion.Rapid proliferation of humanoid robots brings significant security risk due to cyberattacks and exploitation.Security flaws have been identified in popular humanoid robot models, including hardcoded cryptographic keys and unsanitized command injection.A proof-of-concept hack has exploited vulnerabilities in Unitree Robotics' Bluetooth Low Energy interface, allowing for complete takeover of the device.Three factors contribute to the "perfect storm" for this threat: widespread use of robotics, artificial intelligence, and global population decline with an aging workforce.Chinese government-sponsored spy groups are targeting defense, electronics, and manufacturing companies, likely interested in humanoid robots for espionage and intellectual property theft.
As the world continues to embrace the advancements of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, a new threat is emerging that could potentially disrupt the very fabric of our society. According to experts, humanoid robots are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with 3 billion units expected to be in use by 2060. However, this rapid proliferation also brings with it a significant security risk, as these machines become vulnerable to cyberattacks and exploitation.
The potential fallout of not taking precautions to secure these robots is catastrophic, warns Joseph Rooke, risk insights director at Recorded Future's Insikt Group. "Botnets in a physical form is now," he said in an interview. This is not just the stuff of science fiction; researchers have already identified multiple security flaws in popular humanoid robot models, including hardcoded cryptographic keys, trivial authentication bypass, and unsanitized command injection.
The most recent example is a proof-of-concept hack published by three researchers in late September, which exploited vulnerabilities in Unitree Robotics' Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Wi-Fi configuration interface. The exploit allowed the attackers to completely take over the device, essentially turning it into a botnet that could compromise other robots in range. This vulnerability highlights the need for immediate action to secure these embodied AI systems.
Rooke identifies three factors that have combined to form what he calls the "perfect storm" for this threat. First and foremost is the widespread use of robotics, which has been in place for decades, but is now being amplified by the development of walking robots. Second, the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) allows these robots to learn and adapt, much like humans do, making them even more sophisticated and potentially vulnerable to exploitation.
The third factor is the global population decline combined with an aging population, which is expected to lead to labor shortages and a reliance on technology, including humanoid robots, to boost productivity. This has created a perfect storm for the proliferation of these machines, as they are becoming increasingly needed to fill the gap in the workforce.
While Recorded Future hasn't publicly reported any robotics firm breaches, its threat hunters have been tracking RedNovember (Microsoft calls this crew Storm-2077) and other Chinese government-sponsored spy groups that target defense, electronics, and manufacturing companies. These groups are likely to be interested in humanoid robots, as they are seen as a potential means of espionage and intellectual property theft.
The emergence of a new industry dedicated to securing these robots is inevitable, warns Rooke. "It's the perfect storm for this to just skyrocket," he said. As the threat of botnets in physical form becomes more real, it's clear that we must take immediate action to protect ourselves from these potential security risks.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Botnets-in-Physical-Form-The-Looming-Threat-of-Humanoid-Robot-Security-ehn.shtml
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/12/09/humanoid_robot_security/
Published: Tue Dec 9 09:09:45 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
