BlueBorne is a class of Bluetooth vulnerabilities discovered in 2017 that allows attackers to take complete control of devices without requiring pairing, user interaction, or the device being in discoverable mode. The name represents a broader category of Bluetooth stack vulnerabilities that enable remote code execution across multiple operating systems.
BlueBorne vulnerabilities exist in the Bluetooth implementations of Android, iOS, Windows, and Linux. The attack exploits flaws in the Bluetooth stack before any pairing process begins, targeting the protocol's device discovery and connection phases. On Linux, the vulnerability exists in the L2CAP (Logical Link Control and Adaptation Protocol) implementation. On Android, it targets the SDP (Service Discovery Protocol) server and the PAN (Personal Area Network) profile. The attacker scans for nearby Bluetooth-enabled devices, identifies the operating system through Bluetooth fingerprinting, and delivers the appropriate exploit payload. Successful exploitation provides remote code execution at the privilege level of the Bluetooth service, which typically runs with high privileges.
BlueBorne affected an estimated 8.2 billion devices at disclosure. It demonstrated that Bluetooth's attack surface extends far beyond traditional pairing-based attacks. The vulnerability required no user interaction, meaning any device with Bluetooth enabled was potentially vulnerable to a nearby attacker. This fundamentally changed how organizations assess the risk of Bluetooth-enabled devices in sensitive environments.
CDA covers Bluetooth exploitation within the VSD domain as part of wireless and proximity-based attack assessment. Theater missions include Bluetooth reconnaissance and vulnerability assessment of organizational device populations. Our approach emphasizes that wireless protocols beyond Wi-Fi represent significant and often overlooked attack surfaces.