A handheld barcode scanner, one of the most ordinary tools in a warehouse, could become a way into a company's wider computer systems, according to new research from Kaspersky.

From scanner to wider systems

The researchers examined a barcode scanner model from a major manufacturer and found no authentication between the handheld device and its base station. In a typical setup, the scanner talks wirelessly to the base station, which is connected to a workstation or another business system. Because that link is not authenticated, an attacker within wireless range could listen in, learn the base station's Bluetooth address, and send keystrokes that the connected computer treats as genuine input.

What warehouses should do

Those injected keystrokes could, in the researchers' assessment, run unauthorised commands without any action by the warehouse worker. That would give an attacker an initial foothold from which to explore further systems, including warehouse management software. Kaspersky said similar attack patterns were seen across devices from more than one vendor, and that portable data terminals and thermal printers could present a similar risk.

The findings were presented at the Security Analyst Summit 2026 in Bali as part of an audit of a warehouse digital ecosystem. Kaspersky noted that global e-commerce sales have nearly doubled since 2019 to more than $6 trillion, so disruption to delivery chains can carry heavy financial and reputational costs.

The practical defences are unglamorous but important: segment warehouse networks so a single device cannot reach critical systems, switch off unused Bluetooth interfaces, and require strong authentication wherever the hardware allows it. The research is a reminder that security reviews should cover operational equipment, not only servers and laptops. A device bought for speed on the warehouse floor can still be an entry point if its wireless link is trusted by default.

Sources: TBS News (Kaspersky), SC Media.