Sitting on a smart toilet right now? Better be careful—you might get hacked!
Japanese company LIXIL makes computerized gadgets for the home, office, and bathroom…including “smart toilets.” It’s latest innovation: the Inax Satis, a high-tech toilet that can you can program and control with your smartphone.
How can you control a toilet with your phone? Well, the Satis has a motorized lid, a bidet, and a deodorizer. Users can control the pressure of the bidet’s stream, or remotely close an open lid, for example, via an app called “My Satis.” The app can also be used to keep a daily log of bowel movements, if you’re into that level of documenting
your life.
However, anytime something has a computer in it, it means that it’s possible for somebody, somewhere, to hack it. In August, researchers at American digital security company Trustwave discovered that the Satis had some flaws that would allow it or the phone app to be easily hacked. Trustwave warned LIXIL, but never received a response, so they went public with their findings. Among the problems a digital prankster could cause: making the Satis’ lid snap shut, make it flush repeatedly, or make the temperature of the bidet stream really hot or really cold. (Or they could post your poop schedule on Facebook.)
But don’t worry, Americans. The My Satis app is currently only available in Japan, so if you’ve got a stateside Satis, you can still poo in peace.