MacBook webcams can spy on you without any warning, research shows

[anuseems]

A research done at the Johns Hopkins University has revealed that it is possible to remotely activate a built-in laptop webcam without triggering the warning LED next to it, The Washington Post reports. Though researchers used the 2008-era MacBook and iMac models to demonstrate the technique, they said that similar techniques could work on modern day computers from various vendors.

So, what does it mean? It means that if you have a laptop with a built-in camera, it is possible for an individual or a government agency to remotely access it to spy on you, and you'd probably never know about it.

Stephen Checkoway, the co-author of the research and a computer science professor at the university, said that the 2008-era MacBooks they studied had a hardware interlock that made sure the green LED glows whenever the webcam was active and capturing video. But he, along with a university graduate student Matthew Brocker, figured out a hack to bypass this security protection by reprogramming the micro-controller of the internal iSight webcam.

The paper iSeeYou: Disabling the MacBook Webcam Indicator LED details the specifics of how Stephen Checkoway and Matthew Brocker disabled the warning LED and used unprivileged (non-root) software applications to remotely access the MacBook webcam.

The research only proves what's been in the news recently. Marcus Thomas, who used to work at the FBIs Operational Technology Division, recently admitted that FBI has been using a similar hack for several years. A similar technique was also used in the 'sextortion' hacking case targeting Miss Teen USA.

Charlie Miller, a security expert at Twitter, gives an easy solution to this problem. The safest thing to do is to put a piece of tape on your camera,, he says.

@ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/12/18/research-shows-how-macbook-webcams-can-spy-on-their-users-without-warning/

Edited December 21, 2013 by anuseems

[kn_andre]

Easy Fix for this is always Keep the Camera Lid Covered or just Stick an Adhesive tape on the Webcam when your not using it ... Thanks for posting .. cheers

[Yorel]

If it's right, you'll never be safe using the camera with Skype or whatever... :unsure:

Thanks for the info.

[oliverjia]

that's absolutely right.

ppl have to understand WHY this happened.

In this era, IT companies make profit by selling and exchanging privacy information. Yes, every average joe, you and me, are all victims.

If it's right, you'll never be safe using the camera with Skype or whatever... :unsure:

Thanks for the info.

[sanjoa]

Do not fap in front of the webcam even when it's off :tehe:

[Yorel]

Do not fap in front of the webcam even when it's off :tehe:

A member from Fap Club couldn't say another thing :lol:

[mastershake]

just "wrap it up" then nothing to worry about (cover the camera for those without imagination) then you can fap away.

[stylemessiah]

Paranoia, time for the tin foil again.....

The driver for either the chipset or camera would have to be compromised for you to be in any danger.

So, unless you think Apple (or any other manufacturer for that matter), ships their products with compromised drivers, then youre probably a bit mental. so the only threat remains most logically someone who has physical access to your device, or in an extremely rare event, it is somehow installed remotely or via drive by etc, and even then the user would have to approve the action....

As for the FBI claims, i think you'll find they had either psychical access to the machine or the express consent of the owner to use such a hack, its just bad reporting that makes it seem like they can do it willy nilly....

In the end its only a stupid user who will find themselves with an issue.

So im not getting my knickers in a twist and putting tape on anything, thats a sign of kneejerk lunacy

If youre that easily paranoid, then you might want to also:

* Put bluetack (tape wont work) over your microphone (so no one can listen in)

* Use a non standard keyboard layout (so your keystrokes cant be easily determined)

etc

You know what, why dont you unplug your device from the net, and do all your computing from inside a Faraday cage

Second thoughts, lets just go back to using slate and a chisel

Or stop bloody overreacting to things that are so unlikely to happen...

Honestly.....

Edited December 22, 2013 by stylemessiah

[shasi]

be careful guys

[jimbojet2011]

What the use of wrapping it up

Just shut it down in the device manager

:-)

[nanoman]

Do not fap in front of the webcam even when it's off :tehe:

:lol: :lol: :P Don't Fap , Buy Some Credits And watch Them Fapping On Your Order :P

[janedoe]

Related thread: http://www.nsaneforums.com/topic/197703-the-fbi-can-turn-on-your-webcam-without-you-knowing/