If someone can hack your camera, they've probably already got the ability to capture your screen, keystrokes, and data.
Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera
221–230 of 990 posts
Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera
#222I put a piece of scotch tape and a thin piece of paper of it regardless.
Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera
#223Earlier quoted context omitted.
But can't you specifically wire the indicator light to always be lit if the camera has power? I don't see Apple claiming they've done that but a correct design would make the indicator light work that way and be related to software at all. Meaning you could only disable the indicator light by physically modifying the device.
This is the only correct design, yet almost nobody does this. One of the challenges is verifying that this was done correctly. You may be able to verify a design like this once with a teardown, but it's impractical to verify your particular device, and next to impossible to re-verify this every time you leave your laptop unattended.
My threat model doesn't involve someone disassembling my laptop and rewiring it, at that point they might as well just plant a bug.
Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera
#224Can someone help me understand the extent of possible damage by having a webcam cover? This might at least inform me if its worth the risk. When Apple says "you might damage your display because the clearance between the display and keyboard is designed to very tight tolerances" , do they mean? - the display itself could have scratches? - the display connector at the hinge has a chance of weakening? - others?
Here you go.
https://twitter.com/dabernathy89/status/1257350535440748547
Edit: Also, from my limited research, the repair cost w/out AppleCare+ (or regular AppleCare if they don't count it as accidental damage) is around $1,000.
Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera
#225> "Designed to protect your privacy, Mac notebooks have a camera indicator light to let you know when the camera is on. ... Published Date: July 02, 2020" Perhaps Apple missed these? 2013: iSeeYou: Disabling the MacBook Webcam Indicator LED https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/handle/1774.2/36569 2016: Your Mac’s Camera Can Be Hacked https://www.intego.com/mac-security-blog/your-macs-camera-ca... 2016: Former NSA emp…
>2013: iSeeYou: Disabling the MacBook Webcam Indicator LED https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/handle/1774.2/36569 ... applies only to older Mac notebooks from like 2008 period which are long since obsolete according to Apple's announced support policy. >2016: Your Mac’s Camera Can Be Hacked https://www.intego.com/mac-security-blog/your-macs-camera-ca... . ... refers specifically the exploit above. >2016: Former NSA…
Is your point that because these issues have been fixed there will never be a new camera exploit in the future?
I don't see how what you're saying supports that. If your point is simply that Apple has resolved camera vulnerabilities in the past, that's nice, but doesn't exactly give me much peace of mind about future vulnerabilities.
Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera
#226This seems like a pretty mild warning for folks who might stick a bulky cover on their camera and press down / pack their laptop tightly and now have wedged part of the screen open with the cover. I'm a fan of using painters tape.... pretty low profile, easily removed, stays on really well. Also the weird blue glow you get when the camera is on tells you pretty quick "Hey there's a cover on there" where sometimes wit…
It does not have to be a bulky cover. I used an extremely low profile webcam cover on my 2015 MBP for 3 years. I put a similar one on my 16" MBP, and it destroyed the screen after a couple weeks. Specifically, this is the webcam cover I was using: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C24NBGL/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_T...
I used this on the 2016 for years, but even though it's incredibly thin, it is too thick for the 2020. Would love to find a replacement if anyone has a suggestion.
Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera
#227This seems like a pretty mild warning for folks who might stick a bulky cover on their camera and press down / pack their laptop tightly and now have wedged part of the screen open with the cover. I'm a fan of using painters tape.... pretty low profile, easily removed, stays on really well. Also the weird blue glow you get when the camera is on tells you pretty quick "Hey there's a cover on there" where sometimes wit…
I use 3M blue multi-surface masking tape on all my devices. I've had a piece on my surface laptop screen for several months now and it is still leaving no residue after removal. I also like to cover the microphone cutouts if feasible (these are directly adjacent the webcam on my laptop).
Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera
#228> The camera is engineered so that it can’t activate without the camera indicator light also turning on. Has anyone torn down the hardware and verified this lately? It should not be a complicated feature at all. Just ensure you have the same voltage applied to your LED circuit as your camera circuit, and enforce that by having them on the same wire...
Also, pretty unlikely, but what if the LED dies? :)
Very very unlikely. Low power leds rarely malfunction.
Add more than one if this is a concern, and it can still be compact. This is already done today in "RGB" leds.
Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera
#229With everything being digital these days, physical failsafes are slowly becoming a luxury. I love having the vibration/sound-on hard toggle on my iphone. I don't see why this can't exist for something people feel so insecure about like webcam functionality - a physical toggle that physically disconnects webcam wiring.
Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera
#230Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your phone camera sounds like an engineering oversight.
What makes you feel that way? I enjoy the peace of mind and lack of a notch on my screen. It's designed and advertised as a feature, not an oversight.
There's a lot more moving parts to go wrong.