So-called “smart” guns may not be a safe firearm alternative after all.
The Artmatix iP1 Pistol, a German-made handgun that’s supposed to only fire for its owner, can be hacked with a variety of high- and low-tech methods. The smart gun is designed to only fires when it’s within a foot a connected smartwatch connected via RFID technology to prevent the weapon from being used by someone that’s unauthorized.
Yet, $15 worth of magnets against the handgun at a certain angle completely disable the security measures entirely so anyone can fire it, according to Wired.
A hacker, using the pseudonym Plore, discovered flaws that in this security system that turns the Artmatix, advertised as one of the most secure weapons available, into a run-of-the-mill handgun, Wired reports.
The one-foot-range on the smartwatch can be extended by more than ten feet using a pair of $20 radio relays, far enough to allow someone without the Armatix watch to fire the IP1. The hacker also found a way to “jam” the security features to prevent it from firing with a low-cost wireless device from up to 15 feet away.
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