3 More Hackable Toys NOT to Buy Your Kids This Holiday Season

3 More Hackable Toys NOT to Buy Your Kids This Holiday Season

The clock is ticking on gift-buying this holiday season, but that’s no excuse not to do some research before you buy connected toys.

  • By Jessica Davis
  • Dec 06, 2017

The clock is ticking on gift-buying this holiday season, but that’s no excuse not to do some research before you buy connected toys. The wave of new WiFi and Bluetooth-enabled gadgets for kids means more possibilities that a toy with looser security standards could be hacked, leaving you and your child vulnerable.

We previously covered three hackable toys as investigated by Mashable. Since then, groups like Which?, a U.K.-based consumer products safety testing firm, and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group have issued their own lists of unsafe toys for 2017. Here are three of their worst offenders:

My Friend Cayla

Cayla is a smart, interactive doll that can chat with children. Her Bluetooth capability works with her app and blocks pre-loaded “bad” words and subjects, but some consumers are concerned that she may violate the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. Cayla was classified by the German Federal Network as an “illegal espionage apparatus” and was banned in the country after concerns that access to the doll was unsecured and she could be used to “illegally spy” on children. It’s possible to connect to Cayla even without her app installed because smartphones identify her as a hands-free headset.

Furby Connect

The latest update to Furby connects to the Furby Connect World App to provide more physical and digital ways to interact. It also has LCD-screen animated eyes and can say more than 1,000 phrases. Unfortunately, researchers found that anyone within range of its Bluetooth can connect to the toy when it’s switched on without physically interacting with it due to a lack of security features when pairing with the device. You can also connect to the Furby with a laptop, and some researchers were able to upload and play a custom audio file through the toy, which means anyone with the know-how could upload inappropriate material to play for a child.

I-Que Intelligent Robot

i-Que is an interactive robot who can talk, tell jokes and quiz children. It uses Bluetooth to pair with its app, but smartphones can identify it as a hands-free headset without even installing the app. Anyone within Bluetooth range of the toy can pair with it and use a text field in the app to make the toy say whatever they want in the robot’s own voice. Which? demonstrates a worst-case scenario of someone taking advantage of this vulnerability in the video below.

In a consumer notice about internet-connected toys released in July, the FBI suggested parents take the following steps before purchasing a “smart” toy:

  1. Research any known security issues with the toy.
  2. Only connect smart toys to trusted and secured Wi-Fi.
  3. Look into the toy’s internet and device connection security measures.
  4. Use authentication when pairing the device with Bluetooth, such as a pin or password.
  5. Stay up to date with any manufacturer security update or patches.
  6. Investigate where the user data is stored, with the company, a third party source or both.

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.