If I pair my Android phone and my laptop, I can share files over Bluetooth from the phone to the laptop. I’ve started finding this a really convenient method for me to send files to a Linux laptop without needing to install a separate app on either the phone or my laptop. Especially when I’m away from my home network (I use SFTP at home).

How secure is this? Is there encryption by default and could someone else nearby with a receiver potentially decode the file you’re sending?

  • ArbiterXero@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    It’s actually entirely horse shit.

    Only the very newest products that are on the latest standard are secure.

    It all look secure and sounds secure and feels secure with all the encryption….

    But about 2 years ago there was a downgrade attack that was proven to affect basically everything.

    Bluetooth security might as well be a flashing neon sign of your data.

    Now it’s not quite that simple and some people have updated their devices etc……

    But almost nobody actually has done that because Bluetooth devices are “fire and forget”

    I mean when’s the last time you updated the firmware on your headphones or keyboard?

    Mostly “never”

      • llii@discuss.tchncs.de
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        2 months ago

        No, thanks:

        It uses a WebRTC peer-to-peer connection. WebRTC needs a signaling server that is only used to establish a connection. The server is not involved in the file transfer.

        If your devices are paired and behind a NAT, the PairDrop TURN Server is used to route your files and messages.