Your Google smart speakers could be used to spy on you. A new report has found that hackers can use smart speakers to listen in on your private conversations at home. So here are all the details about this vulnerability.

Researcher Matt Kunze had found that hackers might be able to spy on users of Google Home smart speakers. Kunze discovered that Nest Mini has a rogue or “backdoor” account could be created using the Google Home application. Furthermore, the account could then be used to control the smart speaker. In other words, a hacker with malicious intent basically has remote access to a microphone feed inside your homes.

After this discovery, Kunze shared the information with the Search engine giant who awarded him with a heft sum of 107,500 US Dollars. The rogue account was capable of controlling the smart speaker and it let hackers send commands remotely via the cloud API, which allows two or more computer programs to communicate with one another. The hacker was also able to send a request to Google’s server requesting a link to the smart speaker.

This would even let the hacker to gain access to other smart home products as well by letting them unlock the front door, control smart appliances, possible even make online transactions as well, among other things. Those with malicious intent could also have the speaker call his phone allowing him to listen in to a conversation in the victim’s home through the speaker’s microphone.

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Huawei and Google have had a strong relationship in the past. However, after the recent US ban, this relationship has faced its share of struggles. Although things seem to be better now, with the Trump administration allowing Huawei to use Google’s Android, these companies reportedly had to kill a couple of projects because of the recent US ban.

According to the Information, Huawei and Google were working on a smart speaker powered by the Google Assistant. The company was expected to launch the new speaker at IFA, Berlin in September this year and planned to sell it online in the US. However, when the US ban came into effect, both the companies had to stop working on it. It is said that they spent at least a year on the speaker, so it’s a shame that it may never see the light of the day. During this period, Google and Huawei were also discussing ways to make Huawei phones compatible with Android Auto.

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However, the US ban seems to have strained Huawei’s relationship with all US companies. In fact, recently, a report said that Huawei aimed to reduce its reliance on US suppliers by the next couple of years to avoid any supply issues in the future. The company is said to have survived the recent US ban by stockpiling essential components and chips before hand.

So even if US removes Huawei from its ‘Entity List’, it’s unlikely that things will go back to normal between these two companies.

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