"Monsieur Cuisine Connect" is very uncertain

While Lidl was bringing his Thermomix clone to the branches, customers tore themselves around the smart kitchen appliance. But technology experts warn against the use. The "Monsieur Cuisine Connect" is very uncertain.

A new Thermomix costs around 1,300 euros. However, Lidl recently bought a copy of the famous kitchen wonder – for only € 359. In the stores led the super bargain, according to media reports partly to tumultuous scenes. Customers have almost ripped off the "Monsieur Cuisine Connect". Currently, the cheap Thermomix with touch screen on the manufacturer's website is "sold" specified.

However, if you believe the two French Alexis Viguie and Adrien Albisetti, buyers should not connect smart kitchen gadgets to the Internet. Because, as both hackers have discovered, the device has a hidden microphone that is neither mentioned in the manual nor needed. Finally, the Thermomix clone has no voice control. So why install a microphone?

The perfect spy tool?

Although Lidl claims that the microphone is not active. However, no one can verify it without special equipment and technical knowledge. From the point of view of the user, the microphone is at best a superfluous detail. In the worst case, it becomes a nightmare for security and privacy, warn experts. Attackers could use network and device vulnerabilities to activate the microphone and use it for spying purposes.

According to Viguie and Albisetti, this is entirely possible because the manufacturer of "Monsieur Cuisine Connect" has also spoiled the software. Thus, the device is already on sale on an obsolete Android version. The user can not rely on security updates here. Overall, this ensures that the cheap Thermomix can be hacked and handled with minimal effort.

Consumers fail

The case shows how important it is not only to pay attention to the price, but also to the safety aspects of so-called "smart" appliances. Manufacturers often put on the market products that do not meet even the minimum standards and are already unsecured for sale. In addition, the provision of security updates is low.

Politicians and security experts have long demanded stringent and mandatory specifications from manufacturers for Internet-enabled devices. The Federal Office for Information Technology Security is working on an IT-security labels, In the future, consumers should be able to steer when they buy smart appliances for the home. A IT security law as promised by the Great Coalition, but still leaves it to come. This is regularly criticized by consumer advocates.