Smart Vacuum Scandal: How a $300 Cleaner Spied and Stopped Working
Computer programmer Harishankar Narayanan made a shocking discovery about his $300 iLife A11 smart vacuum. The device was secretly sending data including detailed home maps made with Google Cartographer to remote servers without his consent.
When he blocked the vacuum’s data transmissions but kept firmware updates open, the device suddenly stopped working. Multiple repair attempts failed, and the expired warranty left him stranded. However, Narayanan decided to investigate on his own.
The Hidden Threat Inside Smart Devices
He found that the vacuum ran on a Linux-based system with an unsecured Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This flaw could allow anyone to gain full root access to the device. While checking the code, Narayanan spotted a remote command issued exactly when the vacuum had stopped working.
That command seemed to act as a digital kill switch. After reversing it, the vacuum started working again proving it had likely been disabled remotely.
Now, Narayanan keeps the vacuum offline, relying only on local mapping features. He warns that other budget smart vacuums could pose similar privacy and security risks.
As smart homes become more popular, this incident raises serious questions. How much control do users truly have over connected devices? And how much data are they unknowingly sharing?
