Software error in ZigBee radio modules facilitates eavesdropping.
As reported by developer Travis Goodspeed on his blog, a weakness in the way Z-Stack, Texas Instruments' open source wireless communication protocol stack used in its ZigBee radio modules, generates pseudo-random numbers makes it easier for an attacker to eavesdrop on encrypted communications. This is not the first occasion on which Goodspeed has hit the headlines for his cryptographic analyses of ZigBee modules.
The weakness allows attackers to eavesdrop on wireless communications for devices such as automation systems and sensors and potentially even to access these devices. The vulnerability is of particularly concern in view of the widespread use of smart electricity meters in the USA. Some electricity providers use ZigBee to transfer data from electricity meters to base stations. (more)
