
Hacked Robot Vacuum Spews Racial Slurs At Texas Man
Just days after Elon Musk unveiled what the robot future could be like with the rollout of the "We, Robot" vehicles and Tesla Optimus Robot, the current situation with robots here in the Lone Star State is not as bright for one autonomous robot vacuum owner in El Paso.
On May 29, 2024 an Ecovacs robot that should have been vacuuming the floor started spewing racial slurs at the owner in Texas until he unplugged it. He was not alone, as many of the same vacuums have been hacked all over the globe.
According to ABC.net.au, the all Chinese-made Ecovacs Deebot X2s robot vacuums have a critical security flaw. The vacuum is easy to hack, allowing hackers to completely control the household cleaning device, camera, and its speaker.
How Are Hackers Getting Into Texas Vacuums?
These vacuums are very susceptible to many different types of hacks. You could access the Ecovacs X2 via Bluetooth from over 330 feet away.
Since these hacks were popping up all over the globe, that was unlikely, though also probable. There is a PIN code that protects the video feed and remote control features, but it is known to be faulty.
Keep Reading: Check Your Bumpers Before Test Driving Vehicles In Texas
The PIN code is only used by the app, not the server or the actual robot. There is also a warning message when the camera is accessed that can be easily disabled.
At Least It's Still Humans Doing The Hacking
For now, the robots haven't gotten a mind of their own. Though these attacks might make you scared of a robot future, it's humans on your "Internet of things" that we should be worried about.
Read More: Texas Favorite Snack Food Coloring Turning Mice Clear
The Most Common Causes of Death in Texas
The 13 Mountain Ranges of Texas
10 Abandoned Military Bases in Texas
Gallery Credit: Lori Crofford
More From K-Fox 95.5








