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

Post by jon-wood » Sat, Jul 11, 2020, 12:50 PM UTC

Kliment wrote: post #792

happytoexplain wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly this. I use one for these reasons, in descending order of practical concern: 1. I don't want to broadcast myself during a meeting when I'm not prepared, or perhaps leave a meeting open by accident. 2. If a bad actor does access my camera, I won't necessarily notice the indicator light, especially if I'm not actively using the computer at that moment. 3. I don't trust the indicator light to be permanently unha…

Same on all counts, though I went a step further and wired in a microminiature slide switch to completely power off the camera. That way applications see "no camera" unless I go out of my way to power it on. I painted the "on" side of the switch in retroreflective paint so I can see when it's on at a glance too, whether the camera is in use or not. This was on a thinkpad though, I doubt macos would tolerate a disappe…

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Jul 11, 2020, 12:55 PM UTC

TwoBit wrote: post #772

throwaway373438 wrote: post #767

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"If you manage to find a vulnerability in this system, I don't think I even mind, " Taking a quick photo doesn't illuminate the LED for long enough for a human to reliably notice. "because you've also broken physics " Or merely recognized the role of the human element. A shame, Apple was once good at this.

What does it look like if an app takes a series of photos once a second while shutting on and off the camera in between?

Post by needle0 » Sat, Jul 11, 2020, 12:57 PM UTC

Post by behringer » Sat, Jul 11, 2020, 1:03 PM UTC

atoav wrote: post #811

TwoBit wrote: post #772

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What does it look like if an app takes a series of photos once a second while shutting on and off the camera in between?

What if only the camera is allowed to shut itself down and never responds to such requests if they happen weithin the first one second after it has been powered on

Post by behringer » Sat, Jul 11, 2020, 1:11 PM UTC

thdrdt wrote: post #766

alexeichemenda wrote: post #752

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’re focused on the wrong part of the chain here. As the camera system is only as weak as it’s weakest link, if Apple indeed made a circuit connected to the LED (and I fully trust you on that), then the weakest link is elsewhere: company provided laptops are often altered prior to be given to an employee. I know of colonies who install software to track messages etc. What’s to say the same companies don’t alter the…

If they take the efford to alter the circuit they might as well place a camera somewhere else, listen to all your network traffic, install a (hardware) keylogger and what not. I think you are taking this too far. People who fear to be tracked buy a laptop in a random store and don't use a provided one.