WASHINGTON — With the internet of things evolving, Israeli and Canadian researchers say if one item is infected with malicious code, it could infect other smart devices near it.

Someone could pass by in a car, a couple hundred feet away, and spread an infection, The New York Times reports.

The researchers found a flaw in smart lightbulbs made by Philips, thanks to a radio protocol developed in the 1990s. It allows someone passing by in a car to control a device, like those lightbulbs, which are normally controlled by a computer or smartphone.

Compromising a single lightbulb could infect many other nearby lights in just minutes, even if they are not on the same network.

A hacker could use it as a springboard for an attack that overwhelms servers, steal information or control a device — such as a lightbulb.

The infection could create a strobe effect triggering an epileptic attack.

A Philips spokesperson told the paper that the security impact was low.