[tor-talk] Cameras

[Jon Tullett]

On 24 November 2016 at 09:51, Dave Warren <davew at hireahit.com> wrote:
> On Wed, Nov 23, 2016, at 22:41, Jon Tullett wrote:
>> On 22 November 2016 at 10:55, Ben Tasker <ben at bentasker.co.uk> wrote:
>> > The problem with blocking the camera in software is that it can then be
>> > unblocked in software (and still potentially without your permission).
>>
>> And not just
>> cameras...https://www.wired.com/2016/11/great-now-even-headphones-can-spy/
>>
>> Software control is always risky. I dislike laptops without hardware
>> switches for wireless adapters for much the same reason.
>
> I'm amazed that this is considered news, this has seemed perfectly
> obvious since ports started being able to handle connections from
> multiple types of devices. But hey, I guess good for the rest of the
> world for figuring basics out?

It was an obvious concept, but the RealTek tweak and demo is pretty
neat. The Ben-Gurion team's paper is worth a read:
http://cyber.bgu.ac.il/advanced-cyber/system/files/SPEAKEaR.pdf

Wouldn't want to put money on this not already being in intelligence
agencies' bags of tricks, though.

-J