And for the “stories we never wanted to know” series: a security bug in a web-connected male chastity belt allows hackers to remotely control the gadget and permanently lock it to the wearer. No, it's not Lercio.
The Cellmate Chastity Cage is a somewhat similar product built by a Chinese company, Qiui. It allows users to give up access to their genitals to a partner (yes, you read that right) who can lock and unlock the male chastity belt remotely using an app. Not everything works right, however, and by a report from a British security company I learn that “anyone can remotely lock all devices and prevent users from freeing themselves.” Ache. Horrified.
More: The online chastity belt DOES NOT HAVE a manual override, nor a physical key. Blocked users have no escape. Actually two, one more chilling than the other. The first is to cut the hardened steel bolt, an operation that requires bolt cutters or an angle grinder. Not easy. If it involves using these tools on your testicles, it's a little more complicated. The second way is to overload the circuit that controls the lock with 3 Volts of electricity. Champagne.
Watch out for the intimate gadget
The news of the security flaw suggests that it is worth thinking twice before buying smart, networked "intimate" gadgets. Yes, because however unusual given the branch, such a case is frequent in many fields of the Internet of Things. And if it's a dildo, I feel worse. Remote control sex toys should have a slightly higher safety standard than a light bulb.
Past security flaws discovered in Internet-enabled sex toys have allowed hackers to hijack live-streaming footage directly from a… contraption, or take control of Bluetooth-enabled plugs.
In the case of the Cellmate Chastity Cage, the manufacturers of the device are also resistant to reports. They remind me a bit of the owners of that Japanese hotel where the voice assistant robots peered, always hijacked by hackers, couples in love. The male chastity belt bug was reported to Qiui in April 2020. The company has not yet managed to resolve the problem and has not responded to journalists who asked for information until it released an update in June. Those who have not updated the app, however, are still quite vulnerable.
Male chastity belt connected to the internet: laugh so as not to cry
It appears that this particular flaw is the least of Cellmate's problems. Reviews on Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store include many complaints from disappointed customers. They say the app often crashes unexpectedly.
“The app stopped working after three days and I'm stuck!” writes a user. “This is DANGEROUS software, don't lock yourself away!”. “My partner is locked up! This is ridiculous". What to say? Until there is a standard for all IoT devices, the risk will always be high, and in cases like these even quite embarrassing.
