Inspired by Flipper Zero, a tiny piece of hardware that can be used by hackers to bombard iPhone and Android users with non-stop Bluetooth pop-ups, a software developer has created a new Android app called 'Bluetooth-LE-Spam'. The app works by broadcasting fake Bluetooth Low Energy connections impersonating various devices, which are received by Android phones to pair devices like wireless earbuds, smart keys and RFID tags. According to Bleeping Computer, the project is still in the early stages, but the app works as intended. Once installed, it impersonates 'Fast Pair' on Android and can send fake Bluetooth requests to other devices in intervals as less as 1 second. For the uninitiated, Fast Pair is a technology that allows your earbuds to connect to your phone as soon as you take them out of the case without having to manually pair them from Bluetooth settings. While the app offers the option to adjust the transmission power, the publication found that fake Bluetooth broadcasts were detected by the target only if the victim's phone was physically close to the device running the Bluetooth-LE-Spam app, but sometimes it was able to send notifications from a few meters away. However, this was not the case with Flipper Zero, as it is a dedicated piece of hardware with more range. Another thing to note here is that the app caused Bluetooth peripherals like mouse and keyboard to become unresponsive when it was spamming fake requests. Currently, the Bluetooth-LE-Spam app might not be a threat to users, but it might be able to cause chaos in the future. If you think you are being targeted by fake Bluetooth connection requests generated by Bluetooth-LE-Spam, open the 'Settings' app on your phone, navigate to 'Google' and tap on 'Nearby Share'. Turn the feature off and you will be good to go.
