Analog headphone amplifiers are quite easy to come by and can fix the problem for the ultimate paranoids.
Headphones can be hijacked to surreptitiously record audio
11–20 of 158 posts
Re: Headphones can be hijacked to surreptitiously record audio
#12Would be cool if Purism or similar companies had a nice big hardware switch that controlled access to any recording equipment.
Re: Headphones can be hijacked to surreptitiously record audio
#13Serious question: I understand the argument against the classic "why should I care if someone records my conversations? I don't do anything illegal.", being that once the government starts recording everything you say the freedom of being able to say anything negative against them goes away knowing they could be listening. That said, why should I, a boring law abiding citizen, go around disabling my hardware and covering webcams etc...? If someone were to ask my what I was doing, just the fact that it's possible to hijack desktop mics is that enough for me to start putting faraday cages around myself? Serious question. Thanks :)
Re: Headphones can be hijacked to surreptitiously record audio
#14Earlier quoted context omitted.
The author of the article intended to write "output-only". But even this is not quite right: it's by definition not an input-only jack, but rather a jack capable of both input and output (which the user may think is output-only), but that RealTek has quietly switched to input mode as a result of their malware. Really this title is alarmist. Only very specific hardware, and you'd have to not notice the sound stopped.
Most people don't play sounds all day. But this does point to a viable defense, if the headphones are always playing something they can't be used to record.
That's a good point. You would also need to leave your headphones plugged in while not playing sounds (I don't, but others might I suppose). Headphones also make a really crappy mic -- try it out by plugging them into a microphone jack (essentially what this malware emulates) and recording yourself: you'll need to hold them inches from your mouth to be intelligible.
This is an interesting idea and something that the driver software should be more vigilant about, but it's definitely not something that would lead me to conclude the headline.
Re: Headphones can be hijacked to surreptitiously record audio
#15Serious question: I understand the argument against the classic "why should I care if someone records my conversations? I don't do anything illegal.", being that once the government starts recording everything you say the freedom of being able to say anything negative against them goes away knowing they could be listening. That said, why should I, a boring law abiding citizen, go around disabling my hardware and cove…
It's not just the government you need to worry about, it's independent malicious actors as well. Video or audio recordings from your devices could be used to blackmail you unless you're very, very careful what you do or say at all times such devices are around.
With regards to the government, while you may not be doing anything illegal now, it will be illegal when they outlaw it.
Re: Headphones can be hijacked to surreptitiously record audio
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
Wait, if they "retask the computer’s output channel as an input channel", then why do they need for the headphones to "remain connected into an input-only jack"?
The author of the article intended to write "output-only". But even this is not quite right: it's by definition not an input-only jack, but rather a jack capable of both input and output (which the user may think is output-only), but that RealTek has quietly switched to input mode as a result of their malware. Really this title is alarmist. Only very specific hardware, and you'd have to not notice the sound stopped.
It says this hardware is used in most computers, so it doesn't sound very specific. Maybe they're overstating it though?
Re: Headphones can be hijacked to surreptitiously record audio
#17Serious question: I understand the argument against the classic "why should I care if someone records my conversations? I don't do anything illegal.", being that once the government starts recording everything you say the freedom of being able to say anything negative against them goes away knowing they could be listening. That said, why should I, a boring law abiding citizen, go around disabling my hardware and cove…
Governments are just a part of the threat; there's also nosy neighbours, thieves, ex partners...
For instance, my bank account password is not illegal, nor am I ashamed by it in any way; I don't think I'm a prude, yet I feel like I should not tell it around.
Re: Headphones can be hijacked to surreptitiously record audio
#18Do Apple machines really use Realtek audio chips? Is reassigning port direction possible even when there's just one physical plug?
There's not much in the way of direction when it comes to analog audio signals. For output, you're driving the coil with some current. For input, you're reading current from the coil. This particular chip supports both on the same wires, you just have to tell it which one you want.
Re: Headphones can be hijacked to surreptitiously record audio
#19Serious question: I understand the argument against the classic "why should I care if someone records my conversations? I don't do anything illegal.", being that once the government starts recording everything you say the freedom of being able to say anything negative against them goes away knowing they could be listening. That said, why should I, a boring law abiding citizen, go around disabling my hardware and cove…
Some possibilities:
* Your health insurance company hears you say you think you have cancer. Suddenly your policy get cancelled.
* A new Hitler comes into power and wants to exterminate anyone that has ever expressed support for Muslims or immigrants.
* Your webcam gets hacked and then that video of you masturbating to Sailor Moon gets posted on the internet.
* You tell your significant other your bank password out loud. Suddenly your account balance is zero.
* You jokingly say you want to kill someone. The pre-crime unit shows up to put you in jail forever.
* You're 18 and stupid. You say something like "I'll never support the Republocratic party". You get put on a list which gets cross referenced for every job you ever apply for. Strangely, you never get the job.
Maybe these aren't great examples but I don't have the imagination of someone truly evil.
Re: Headphones can be hijacked to surreptitiously record audio
#20Serious question: I understand the argument against the classic "why should I care if someone records my conversations? I don't do anything illegal.", being that once the government starts recording everything you say the freedom of being able to say anything negative against them goes away knowing they could be listening. That said, why should I, a boring law abiding citizen, go around disabling my hardware and cove…
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