This Week in Bluetooth & UWB

Aug 21, 2026

In This Issue

→ Bluetooth as a malware relay
→ A ready-to-use nRF54L15 module
→ $30m into satellite Bluetooth
→ ST UWB validated for 802.15.4ab
→ A UWB car key in Samsung Wallet

What I'm Working On

Bluetooth LE Unplugged teaches the protocol on real hardware, with no embedded C required. Two dongles ship with the course, so you run both the central and the peripheral side yourself rather than reading about them. Enrollment is open, from $199, with lifetime access and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

BleepingComputer

The researchers say that the data is encrypted and transferred via nearby compromised devices over Wi-Fi Direct or Bluetooth connections. “If necessary, the malware can also use multi-hop routes, with newly queued items configured for a maximum of four relay hops by default,” ThreatFabric says. This mechanism also allows data exfiltration even from offline devices, as long as another infected device is within WiFi or Bluetooth range.

CNX Software

Japanese company KAGA FEI has introduced another incredibly small ES4L15MA1 Bluetooth LE 6.0 module based on Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF54L15 ultra-low-power Cortex-M33 wireless MCU. The ES4L15MA1 module appears to be based on the same hardware as the ES4L15BA1 “world’s smallest module” unveiled in 2024 with an 8.55 x 3.25 x 1.00 mm form factor. The main difference is that the new modules come with ready-to-use embedded software providing a command-based API via UART.

Investing.com

Seraphim Space Investment Trust plc (LSE:SSIT) invested $30 million in Hubble Network, Inc., marking the first new portfolio company addition funded by the trust’s £137 million C Share issue. Hubble is developing a satellite-powered Bluetooth network that enables standard Bluetooth Low Energy chips to connect directly to satellites without requiring cell towers, gateways or custom hardware. The company operates seven satellites in orbit and maintains a terrestrial network of more than 100 million access points.

LitePoint via Business Wire

LitePoint’s IQgig-UWB+ Test System validates PHY-layer compliance and performance of STMicroelectronics’ ST64UWB chip family for emerging IEEE 802.15.4ab standard. On August 18, 2026, LitePoint announced the successful validation of physical layer (PHY) performance for STMicroelectronics’ ST64UWB chip family using LitePoint’s next-generation UWB test system, IQgig-UWB+. The joint effort confirmed that ST’s silicon meets the requirements of the IEEE 802.15.4ab draft specification.

Samsung Newsroom UK

Samsung Wallet gives Galaxy users an intuitive way to access compatible Volkswagen vehicles using their smartphone, without the need for a physical key or even taking their phone out of their pockets. Digital Keys support multiple access methods, including ultra-wideband (UWB) technology for hands-free entry and Near Field Communication (NFC) technology for tap-based unlocking and starting the engine.