Security researchers uncover vulnerability in Philips Hue lightbulbs

An old vulnerability in Philips Hue smart lights that would have allowed hackers to worm their way into your network has been mostly fixed, according to a report from Check Point Research. The worst part of this vulnerability — wherein a hacker could use the Hue’s Hub to access the rest of a network — was addressed a recent firmware update.

While some vulnerability still exists in the bulbs, Check Point believes at this point a hacker would be able to do no more than flicker the lights.

Might want to go check that firmware — The good news is that Philips Hue bulbs keep themselves updated automatically, so as long as yours are connected to the internet they should be fine. It’s still worth double-checking for peace of mind. The latest firmware, version 1935144040, contains a patch for the vulnerability.

Everything can be hacked — This vulnerability is a worthwhile reminder that even the least-smart of your smart home devices can be compromised. If you connect it to the internet, there’s most likely some way a hacker could work their way into your network. It’s best to keep abreast of all relevant information about your smart devices in case new vulnerabilities are discovered. And, of course, you should always update to the latest firmware.

This could become a larger issue — This issue is linked to the Zigbee communications protocol used by Philips Hue bulbs. That’s the same protocol used by other brands like Ring, Ikea, Samsung, and Honeywell. So while Philips has somewhat contained the problem for the time being, similar issues could arise in other smart devices in the future. It’s only a matter of time, really.