Risk of stealing user's privacy by taking screen shots secretly for Mac applications

byJohan Viirok

Now that you can make a big profit by pulling out personal information security companies are constantly struggling with new malware and hackers. Meanwhile, rather than viruses and malware, "It is possible to steal the privacy of the user of the application using the functions used for ordinary Mac applications,fastlane.toolsFounder ofFelix KrauseIs ringing a warning bell.

Mac Privacy: Sandboxed Mac apps can record record screen at any time without you knowing · Felix Krause
https://krausefx.com/blog/mac-privacy-sandboxed-mac-apps-can-take-screenshots

Krause explained about the method of extracting personal information discovered this time, "SandboxingIt is possible to run it with all Mac applications, whether or not it was done. " Specifically, what we can say is "You can take a screen shot of the screen without user's notice" "The targeted Mac application will work even in the background" "OCR softwareIt is possible to read the text on the screen by using "to function on all monitor screen".

Even if you can not access the data on the device directly, it becomes a threat if it becomes possible to steal all the information displayed on the screen. "There is a chance that you will get the password or email address you enter for access to the website, and the contents and confidential information of the mail you opened on the Mac," Krause says.


Krause discovered how to use the function "CGWindowListCreateImage". By doing this, I took a screen shot of the screen and sent it to OCR software so that I could read all the text.


The technique of screen shot screening itself is useful, it is nonsense to regulate the screen shot itself. Instead Krause advocates: "When you install an application for Mac you need to authenticate as to whether you want to grant permission," "You need user rights on a screenshot," "An application accesses the screen Every time it is obligatory to notify the user "and so on.

"The one I announced this time is a concept only, please never use this in a real environment," Krause is pushing ahead and already has this problem with MacReportedAnd that. According to Krause, "There is no way to prevent this at present," so it is hoped that Apple will respond as soon as possible.