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Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

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Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#521

Post by Wowfunhappy »

horsawlarway wrote: post #469
dialamac wrote: post #445

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You can modify the Macbook of course, which is why the paranoid type will still use tape. If the attacker has done this, they might as well just hide the camera somewhere else.

Not really - there are lots of times when you will not be present with your laptop (think airport security). It's orders of magnitude easier to get access to a mobile device than to setup a camera in every possible location a target might move to. But they'll helpfully carry the device with them.

I really don't think airport security has enough time to open an Apple laptop and rewire the camera.

Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#522

Post by sokoloff »

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #515
blueblob wrote: post #510

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you're saying everyone should always be staring at their webcam to make sure the light is not on? It isn't like there's a subfield of Human Factors studying Cognitive load[1], saying that people don't do a good job at what you're saying people should do. Also, have you ever heard of a rootkit? [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_load

I always notice when the light goes on, because it's close to my screen, and effectively a form of movement in a place I don't usually see it. It's also quite bright on Apple computers. Is it different for other people?

I’m sure it’s different for many other people who use a second, larger monitor.

Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#526

Post by bravoetch »

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #515
blueblob wrote: post #510

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you're saying everyone should always be staring at their webcam to make sure the light is not on? It isn't like there's a subfield of Human Factors studying Cognitive load[1], saying that people don't do a good job at what you're saying people should do. Also, have you ever heard of a rootkit? [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_load

I always notice when the light goes on, because it's close to my screen, and effectively a form of movement in a place I don't usually see it. It's also quite bright on Apple computers. Is it different for other people?

>> Is it different for other people?

Yes. Many people leave the laptop on, and wander off to pee. Or they're jerking off with their eyes closed. Or they are using a different computer at the same time in a data-center. Or all of the above at once.

Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#528

Post by SilasX »

ohazi wrote: post #202
the-pigeon wrote: post #196

Earlier 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.

Bingo. It's a lot simpler to just allow the user to physically block the lens, which vetoes everything[1], rather than trust or verify that all that stuff is implemented correctly and reliably.

[1] Yes, yes, assuming you can block all frequencies the camera is capable of detecting.

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