Some medical devices , smartphones and internet of things gadgets contain certain types of sensors that are vulnerable Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability to potential hacking using sound waves , says Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability cybersecurity researcher Kevin Fu . `` This is now a risk that all manufacturers should be aware of , and in their hazard analysis , it has to be a part of their cybersecurity risk management , '' says Fu , explaining findings of a recent research study conducted by the University of Michigan and the University of South Carolina . The microelectromechanical systems - or MEMS accelerometers - that the research team found Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability to contain these vulnerabilities - are sensors used in various devices to measure acceleration or velocity , and then report those readings to a microprocessor . `` What we looked at Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability was the ability to trick these sensors into delivering false readings to the microprocessor by using sound waves , '' he says in an interview with Information Security Media Group . `` What medical devices contain these sensors is still an open question . The main hazard of this sound wave vulnerability is the threat to the integrity and availability of the sensor , he explains Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability . Prior studies by other researchers had found Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability that sound waves can be used to disable these sensors . `` What 's new here is that it is now known that one can actually damage the integrity of the reading , '' he says . `` If you were trusting this reading to do something automated , such as rate-adapt a pacemaker , perhaps based on changing activity of a patient , you now need a second way to verify the integrity of that reading . '' The study lists 20 accelerometers for which the researchers were able to change the output of the sensors using sound waves , Fu says . `` In some devices , we found that there is a speaker built in right next to the sensor , which means there is a remote ability to cause these changes without an adversary being near the chip . '' Fu recommends that manufacturers assess the researchers ' list of accelerometers that contain the sound wave vulnerability `` and ask [ suppliers ] for specific parameters , including the resident frequencies , to understand the risks and mitigations .