Study revealed that MacBook webcams may have been photographed

ByIncase

Many models of webcams built in recent notebook PCs, including MacBook, are built in. The idea of ​​"being monitored by the camera without being aware of it?" Is that the movie "Eagle EyeAlthough it was drawn, the research revealed that the MacBook web camera can do voyeurism without being noticed to the owner even if it is activated by remote control like this movie.

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

The beginning was that 2 nude photos that I did not remember were e-mailed to Mr. Cassidy Wolf who was elected to 2013 Miss Teen USA.

According to FBI's investigation, Jared Abraham, a classmate of Cassidy's high school, was arrested. Software for remote operation was installed on the suspect 's PC, and evidence of watching multiple women including Cassidy remained, and conviction was declared at the trial.

Nude photos sent to Cassidy were taken with a laptop webcam but during that time Cassidy never saw a warning light that would shine if you launched a webcam I said.

ByC2k2e

Johns Hopkins UniversityProfessor Stephen Czechway of Computer Science conducted a study on webcam vulnerability focusing on MacBook and iMac released before 2008. We demonstrate how to activate webcam without warning light and publish the research results.

According to Matthew Blocker, research co-author, "Apple's computer is designed as" Hardware / Interlock ", controlled by the CPU and the iSight camera will not start without warning lights." I will. However,"ISeeYouFrom the document called "Re-program the micro controller inside the camera, I found a way to remotely activate the camera without warning light.

You can check how the camera actually starts up without warning light from the following movie.


When you start the camera with MacBook, you can see that a small green warning light is on.


When you click "LED Disable (LED invalidation)" from the operation panel of iSeeYou software ......


The warning light turned off. If you operate another person 's PC remotely, you can start the camera without being noticed in this way.


Also, one of the team's researchers, using this methodSuccessfully incorporating spyware into Apple's keyboard. There is a possibility that not only the micro controller of the camera but also many chips included in the PC can be reprogrammed,It discharges the battery rapidly, causing a fire or an explosionYou can also do it.

The vulnerability discovered by the study has an impact on 'iSight webcam built in MacBook and MacBook Pro including' iMac G5 and early Intel-based iMac released by 2008 '. Also, not limited to Apple products, Abraham used remote control software called "RAT" used to install RAT on notebook PCs distributed as teaching materials at Merion High School in Philadelphia, From cameraShoot pictures of 56,000 studentsThe incident that happens is happening. This RAT was low in accuracy and was discovered because the student noticed the warning light, but possibilities are also possible that organizations and financial institutions with financial capabilities may produce remote control software for monitoring purposes.

ByDaniel Hoherd

When using a PC,Software to invalidate webcamEven just using tape or sticky notes on the camera can be effectively dealt with.