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Belkin patches WeMo bug

Fixes available on AppStore, Google Play

Belkin has published fixes for the flaws discovered by IOActive in its WeMo Home Automation system, and is urging users to download updated versions of its control apps from either the AppStore or Google Play.

As discussed by The Register yesterday, the bugs opened a wide range of holes in the kit, including opportunities to spread malicious firmware and gain unauthorised access to the home automation products.

Belkin has now advised The Register that the CERT advisory regarding its WeMo home automation kit has been updated with further information detailing which systems are at risk. Importantly, the company states that “Users with the most recent firmware release (version 3949) are not at risk for malicious firmware attacks or remote control or monitoring of WeMo devices from unauthorized devices. Belkin urges such users to download the latest app from the App Store (version 1.4.1) or Google Play Store (version 1.2.1) and then upgrade the firmware version through the app.”

The company's statement also noted that “Specific fixes Belkin has issued include:

  • An update to the WeMo API server on November 5, 2013 that prevents an XML injection attack from gaining access to other WeMo devices.
  • An update to the WeMo firmware, published on January 24, 2014, that adds SSL encryption and validation to the WeMo firmware distribution feed, eliminates storage of the signing key on the device, and password protects the serial port interface to prevent a malicious firmware attack.
  • An update to the WeMo app for both iOS (published on January 24, 2014) and Android (published on February 10, 2014) that contains the most recent firmware update.

The Register also wishes to correct an error which appeared in yesterday's article. The XML injection vulnerability affects the Belkin cloud service, not (as originally written by this author) the internal Web server on individual devices. ®

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