Skip to main content

Your Sonos or Bose speaker (probably) isn’t haunted, but it could be hacked

The idea of your internet-connected speakers and other smart devices talking to each other might sound crazy, but it’s more likely than you think. At least it is now that hackers have found a way to play any sound they want on certain speakers from Sonos and Bose, as Wired reports.

Cybersecurity company Trend Micro has found that models from Sonos, including the Sonos One and Sonos Play:1, as well as some Bose SoundTouch speakers, can be found relatively easily by remote attackers. Trend Micro found that between 2,000 and 5,000 Sonos devices could be found online, depending on the time of day, while 400 to 500 Bose systems could be found. Once the speaker is found, an attacker can play any audio of their choice through the speaker without much work.

Recommended Videos

While playing audio doesn’t sound like much of a threat — especially when compared to your smart home devices being made part of a botnet — it isn’t as innocuous as it sounds. Attackers could, for example, use a compromised speaker to play Alexa or Google Home commands. With our homes increasingly hosting these types of devices, and in the case of the Sonos One, having Alexa built in, this could give an attacker free reign over your smart devices.

Despite the potential consequences that this vulnerability could lead to, for the time being, there don’t seem to be reports of much beyond simple pranks. Earlier this year, a post by a Sonos owner on the company’s community forum complained of a series of spooky sounds emanating from their speaker — first the sound of a door opening, then glass breaking, then a baby crying. Eventually the customer pulled the plug to stop the sound.

Fortunately, this shouldn’t pose a problem for the average Sonos or Bose owner. Most home networks are secure enough to prevent the access needed for this type of attack. If, on the other hand, you’re running a game server or allowing other types of access to your home network from the internet, you might want to tighten up your security settings.

Sonos has issued a patch aimed at fixing this issue, and while Bose has yet to comment on the issue, it’s likely that a similar fix is on the way.

Kris Wouk
Former Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
Save $200 on Amazon’s “best yet” Fire TV and matching soundbar
A 50-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni Series with a Fire TV soundbar.

Getting a TV can actually be a stressor if you're not the type that likes to tinker with things. Since the vast majority of TVs today don't produce great sound, you'll have to go through the hassle of choosing a soundbar. But that's not all! You also have to connect your soundbar to your TV, which isn't always trivial.

That's why we like this deal that saves you $200 on a QLED TV and gives you a matching soundbar that you know will work with it and be easy to assemble. Normally the 50-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni and Fire TV Soundbar bundle would cost $600, but right now you can get it for an impressively affordable $400. Tap the button below to see the deal. Then, keep reading below to get our take on this bundle's components.

Read more
This new “ultraportable” outdoor speaker is on sale for under $60
Ultimate Ears Miniroll.

It's undeniably the season for outdoor Bluetooth speakers. Unfortunately, they can get quite expensive, with the Beats Pill (our top pick) at $150 and the premium JBL Xtreme 4 all the way up at $380. However, a good alternative is to get an Ultimate Ears Miniroll speaker. It's normally priced around $80, but right now you can get one for just $59, saving you $21. If you order it soon enough, you'll even be able to get it ahead of Father's Day, making it great as either a gift or a way to elevate your sound for the event. Tap the button below to see it or keep reading for our take.

Why you should buy the Ultimate Ears Miniroll speaker

Read more
8 key things you need to know from Apple’s WWDC 2025 event
From a fresh look and updated names, to new features, more intelligence and live translation
iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and macOS 26 shown on devices.

The WWDC 2025 keynote ran for just over an hour and a half. For those of you who don't fancy sitting through the whole presentation, we've pulled out the key things you need to know from the latest Apple event.

1. Welcome to the 26 club

Read more