Beacons are small wireless devices that broadcast signals using Bluetooth Low Energy [1] (BLE) technology. Mobile apps on compatible devices listen for signals from beacons placed in the physical world and then trigger an experience via a beacon-enabled app when it enters or exits a range.
Similar to any other technological advancement, beacon technology came with its own safety and security problems. Malicious parts -as always- try to exploit beacon based systems to gain access or expose the service they provide.
Security issues of beacons may cause severe social and business side harm. Beacon vulnerabilities may let attackers access private user data or business entities. Since the effects of these vulnerabilities to the real world are significant, IT experts try to develop solutions to destroy these vulnerabilities.
In this paper several types of vulnerabilities of BLE beacons will be discussed with a case study of a project that already uses beacons for indoor localization.