Great. Now Even Your Headphones Can Spy on You

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Screw it, just do what I do and pretend that everything is spying on you and you'll be just fine. Well, at least it wont be a surprise when you find out you really are being spied on. :D

Cautious computer users put a piece of tape over their webcam. Truly paranoid ones worry about their devices’ microphones—some even crack open their computers and phones to disable or remove those audio components so they can’t be hijacked by hackers. Now one group of Israeli researchers has taken that game of spy-versus-spy paranoia a step further, with malware that converts your headphones into makeshift microphones that can slyly record your conversations.
 
There's a very large difference between what is technically POSSIBLE and what is PROBABLE in the real world.
 
Ok, so why not just write malware that turns on the built-in mic instead?

Edit: Nevermind. Just read that they included people disconnecting them...
 
If it doesn't have a physical on-off switch, and its connected to the web, especially over a connection I don't control (like a cell phone), I assume its spying on me.
 
I had to get rid of my cell phones because I knew for a fact they were being used to spy on me.
 
It comes from an exploit in Realtek audio chips. Anything with a speaker could be turned into a microphone and listen in then. Desktop's is obviously easiest to counter, just unplug all mics/speakers if your paranoid. Laptops I assume you should be able to open most up to disable the speakers physically and just rely on headphones when you need.
 
Let them listen to me talking to my kids and wife, fuck do I care? I don't say my CC# out loud too often, or ever.
 
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Disconnect from your broadband :(:(:( its the only way you will be safe. It still winds me up that you have to be connected to the Internet just to use your games, which is another way we are all spied on !! Time for a revolution brothers and sisters !!
 
I'd imagine this would work in some situations, but not in others.

A lot of sound hardware has inputs and outputs configurable in hardware, even when these options are not presented to the end user. This is probably how they are doing it.

If - however - you use one way interfaces like optical connections for your sound output, I can imagine this would be a lot more difficult.
 
I won't be worried until they can make my headphones turn my brain into cottage cheese. Then I won't have to worry about anything.
 
jevans64 said:
I won't be worried until they can make my headphones turn my brain into cottage cheese. Then I won't have to worry about anything.
Click to expand...
I thought that's what television was for, turning your brain into cottage cheese. :D
 
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