In this blog post, I will introduce you to BlueZ, a Bluetooth stack for Linux-based systems. I will also show you how to detect whether an Android device is using BlueZ or not, and how to do the same on Kali Linux OS.
1. What is BlueZ?
BlueZ is the official Linux Bluetooth stack. It provides, in its modular way, support for the core Bluetooth layers and protocols. BlueZ was initially developed by Qualcomm and is included with the official Linux kernel distributions. BlueZ consists of many separate modules, such as:
- bluetoothd: the main daemon that handles all Bluetooth devices and connections
- hciconfig: a tool to configure Bluetooth adapters
- hcitool: a tool to scan for and interact with Bluetooth devices
- rfcomm: a tool to create serial port connections over Bluetooth
- sdptool: a tool to query and manipulate the Service Discovery Protocol (SDP)
- obexd: a daemon that handles Object Exchange (OBEX) transfers
- meshctl: a tool to control Bluetooth Mesh networks
2. How can I detect whether an Android device is using BlueZ?
2.1 Can I detect BlueZ on my Android device by adb(Android Debug Bridge)?
The answer is yes, but it depends on the Android version and the device manufacturer. Android uses different Bluetooth stacks for different versions and devices. Some of them are:
- BlueZ: used by Android 1.6 to 4.1
- Bluedroid: used by Android 4.2 to 9.0
- Fluoride: used by Android 10 and later
To detect which Bluetooth stack your Android device is using, you can use adb(Android Debug Bridge), a command-line tool that lets you communicate with your device. You need to enable USB debugging on your device and connect it to your computer via USB cable. Then, you can run the following command on your computer:
adb shell getprop | grep bluetooth
This will show you some properties related to Bluetooth on your device. For example, if you see something like this:
[init.svc.bluetoothd]: [running]
It means that your device is using BlueZ as its Bluetooth stack.
2.2 If so, how to do that? If not, what Bluetooth stack does Android OS use?
If your device is not using BlueZ, you can look for other clues in the output of the previous command. For example, if you see something like this:
[bluetooth.version]: [5]
It means that your device is using Fluoride as its Bluetooth stack.
Alternatively, you can also check the source code of your device's kernel or system image to see which Bluetooth stack it uses.
2.3 How can I detect BlueZ on Kali Linux OS?
To detect BlueZ on Kali Linux OS, you can use the following command:
dpkg -l | grep bluez
This will show you if the bluez package is installed on your system or not. For example, if you see something like this:
ii bluez 5.50-1.2~deb10u1 amd64 Bluetooth tools and daemons
It means that your system has BlueZ version 5.50 installed.
2.3.1 If I haven't detected BlueZ on Kali, could it be possible?
Yes, it could be possible that your system does not have BlueZ installed or enabled. In that case, you need to install or enable it manually. You can use the following command to install BlueZ on Kali Linux OS:
sudo apt-get install bluez
You may also need to start or restart the bluetooth service after installing BlueZ:
sudo service bluetooth start
2.3.2 Explain why.
The reason why your system may not have BlueZ installed or enabled is that some Linux distributions do not include BlueZ by default or have it disabled for security reasons. For example, Kali Linux OS is a penetration testing and ethical hacking distribution that focuses on security and privacy. Therefore, it may not have BlueZ enabled by default to avoid exposing your system to potential Bluetooth attacks.
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