[Cryptography] hacked hearing aids ("Code of Silence")

[Bill Stewart]

On 8/17/25 03:32, Jerry Leichter wrote:
> 
>> In the 2025 British series "Code of Silence", a key plot point is 
>> where the main character's hearing aids are hacked so that they become 
>> listening devices.
>>
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Silence_(TV_series)
>>
>> Having looked into some of the issues surrounding modern Bluetooth and 
>> hearing aids, I have concluded that this hack is not only not far- 
>> fetched, but is a very real security issue.
>>
>> However, I'm currently at a loss for suggestions about what to do…
>>
> Apple has actually gotten its iPods certified as hearing aids, though 
> for limited purposes - they aren’t suitable as general substitutes. 

I've used hearing aids for about five years. IIRC my main pair, from 
Costco, are a brand currently owned by Phillips, and if anybody's going 
to go hacking them, can they PLEASE release their tools open-source? 
Because the phone app works ok, usually, and the audio's great,
but they don't talk to computers, just phones and to some extent tablets 
and not very well :-)
The batteries on them were dying (5 years isn't too bad), and before I 
found that they could replace those, I got the Airpods Pro II to try.
Apple battery is only about 4 hours, vs >18 hours, but recharges fast.

They work really well as Bluetooth headsets that can connect to 
different things, as you'd expect, and they do pretty well as hearing 
aids for talking to people in front of you, though they fail for talking 
to people behind you (e.g. the back seat of a car when you're driving.)
The hearing aids can do both noise cancellation and hearing correction 
at the same time; the Airpods do one or the other but not both.
The Apple noise cancellation is generally better (if you aren't also 
trying to talk to somebody.)

The Airpods fill your ear canal; the hearing aids I've got are behind 
the ear and have an open cone in your ear, which I've found I much 
prefer unless I'm playing music. The hearing aids use BLE Bluetooth Low 
Energy, and maybe newer ones do better, but it's easy to interrupt the 
connect (e.g. phone in your pants pocket playing music, you might lose 
sound in one ear or the other if you turn your body or head, which is 
way less than ideal.)

My hearing level needs about 10-20dB at low frequencies and 45 at the 
high end, and the Airpods seem to handle that ok, though I haven't 
measured whether I'm getting quite 45 or not.