Al-Qaeda targets net-connected coffee machine An Aussie risk advisory services manager has issued a chilling security alert concerning the Jura F90 net-connected coffee machine, warning caffeine-heads that the hi-tech brewing device could open their Windows PC to exploitation by internet paedophiles and al-Qaeda*, CNET reports. The Jura F90 Craig Wright, who works for " …
I can understand accessing it over your LAN, but the internet?
I also can't see anything in their instructions as to whether there's a sensor to stop it pouring when there isn't a cup under the nozzle.
Otherwise Al-Qaeda could be hacking into it and pouring lovely rich dark espresso all over your floor.
Now *that* would be a crime against humanity!
Its a bit odd how many luddites a technology publication manages to have on its payroll. Relax, its just a security advisory! If El Reg had a bit more imagination then it could have explored the implications of the growing number of internet-enabled consumer devices. Many of these will be based on low-cost firmware models that will probably be difficult/impossible to patch leading to long-term vulnerability windows.
"allows users to select "coffee specialities" via their PCs"
I was hoping that the net connected machine could put the weather forecast in the choccy toppings, or something equally imaginative... turns out they've just made a fancy remote control!
Now, how to convert a printer to print chocolate???
IGMC in a minute:
The last thing we need in a modern office is a coffee machine that's susceptible to [buffer] overflow
http://jp.dk/uknews/article1371510.ece
"Christa Møllgaard-Hansen, owner of Christabella's in the town of Maribo on Lolland, routinely buys women's clothing and shoes from around the world to resell in Denmark. But a recent purchase of six dresses from Pakistan for $205 was considered by the American authorities to be money going to support terrorists."
"Møllgaard-Hansen said she was surprised that such a small sum could be made into such a big issue, but was happy that the amount was not a larger one which could have caused her serious financial problems - unlike drilling engineer Sigurd Solem's experience with the US Treasury Departments’ Office of Foreign Assets Control, where $16,000 of an employee's pay was confiscated by the American agency."
"From the linked article 'Best yet, the software allows a remote attacker to gain access to the Windows XP system it is running on at the level of the user.'
Paris, as even she wouldn't put XP on a coffee machine"
Maybe they chose XP because it's the smilie that most clearly describes the coffee it makes...?
Didn't I see that Jordanian cleric Abu Qatada's terms of bail include the curious restriction that he should not communicate with Osama bin Laden? If he enjoys an occasional cup like the rest of us he'd perhaps be well advised to stick to drinking Turkish coffee made on a gas stove.
Only paedos and Terr'ists? I guess that's just 'coz it's a simple embedded device. Were it a full-featured user device then we'd get Drugs and Organised Crime too, and then you'd have to register before using one.
Hey, that wouldn't be so bad. ASIO could monitor your caffeine consumption and see if your cardiac problems are due to excess consumption? If so Medicare won't have to pay. Taxpayers would be thrilled! And what about children drinking coffee?
Skull-n-crossbones because in the future only hackers 'n pirates will use unlicensed coffee machines.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humour
"Sense of humour" - GROW ONE!
As to a lot of the other posts: Sheer brilliance. ade, you bloody-near killed me. and to the initial post: if I thought for a moment that there was a clear and present danger of our machines being remotely switched over to decaf, I'd start my own little "Waronterr'r"
Thankfully the espresso machine here in our IT dept is a stand-alone model and the only overruns it's likely to experience are if someone's caffeine-withdrawal-induced jitters cause them to punch the button too many times...
Haha, reminds me of the RFC :
"... This document describes HTCPCP, a protocol for controlling,
monitoring, and diagnosing coffee pots.
1. Rationale and Scope
There is coffee all over the world. Increasingly, in a world in which
computing is ubiquitous, the computists want to make coffee. Coffee
brewing is an art, but the distributed intelligence of the web-
connected world transcends art. Thus, there is a strong, dark, rich
requirement for a protocol designed espressoly for the brewing of
coffee. Coffee is brewed using coffee pots. Networked coffee pots
require a control protocol if they are to be controlled. "
lolz. Death by Nescafe.
ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc2324.txt
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