- Kamala Harris says she won’t use wireless headphones for security reasons
- Vulnerabilities have been found in many big-name products
- Security risk is very very low, but it’s not zero
Everybody loves wireless headphones – but perhaps everyone shouldn’t. That’s what Kamala Harris suggests, and she knows more than most of us: speaking to Stephen Colbert last week, she explained why her preference for wired earbuds over wireless ones wasn’t because she’s old-fashioned.
“I know I’ve been teased about this,” she said. “But I like these kinds of earpods that have [a cable] because I served on the Senate Intelligence Committee.”
As she explained: “I have been in classified briefings and I’m telling you, don’t be on the train using your earpods [she meant AirPods here] thinking someone can’t listen to your conversation.”
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This isn’t tinfoil hat territory
With very few exceptions, most wireless headphones connect via Bluetooth – and earlier this year, German IT security analysts identified vulnerabilities in a whole host of headphones from very big names including Bose, Jabra, JBL, Marshall and Sony. The system-on-a-chip manufacturer that those firms use has since updated its SDK to deal with the issue, though we’d be foolish to assume it’s the only one.
The presence of a vulnerability in a chip doesn’t mean it has been or is going to be exploited. But it’s a possibility. Last year BlueSpy demonstrated how to take advantage of such a vulnerability to record audio from “a particular high-end headset”. And this year it emerged that a Bluetooth vulnerability could enable eavesdropping on in-car calls.
The risks from wireless devices aren’t just interception. For example, the UK’s Ministry of Justice notes that Bluetooth devices can be used to track someone’s location. It also tells staff that while Bluetooth is fine for people working with “Official”-level material, it may not be safe enough for “Official-Sensitive or higher material”.
The likelihood of the average pair of headphones or earbuds being intercepted by anyone is vanishingly small. And that’s probably just as well, because 3.5mm audio jacks are vanishing too – although of course you could always use a USB-C adapter or DAC to go wired. But most of the best headphones today are wireless ones, especially for wearing outdoors – and doubly so if you want active noise cancellation. Wired ANC earbuds are nearly extinct, frustratingly for the security
For the average listener like you or I, the security risk is virtually zero. But if like Kamala Harris you don’t exactly have an average job, there are plenty of people willing to invest serious time, talent and tech in trying to eavesdrop on your communications. And that could mean that the best wired earbuds are the smart move – going wireless could be going reckless.