Is your digital assistant taking orders behind your back? Scientists from China’s Zheijiang University have proved it’s possible, publishing new research that demonstrates how Siri, Alexa, and other voice-activated programs can be controlled using inaudible ultrasound commands. This provides a new method of attack for hackers targeting devices like phones, tablets, and even cars. But don’t get too worried — the technique has a number of key limitations that means it’s unlikely to cause chaos.

Using ultrasound as discreet form of digital communication is actually pretty common. As pointed out in a FastCompany report on the topic, Google’s Chromecast and Amazon’s Dash Buttons both use inaudible sounds to pair to your phone. And…

Continue reading…