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A low budget consumer hardware espionage implant (2018)

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Re: A low budget consumer hardware espionage implant (2018)

#31

Post by alexey-salmin »

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #25
pbmonster wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article covers that under the section "detection". TL;DR: You can easily detect it while it communicates via GSM, and the device is also shielded quite badly, resulting in lots of easily detectable RF interference while it works. All you need is a cheap RF detector. Having access to a full spectrum analyzer or a SDR will make this even easier. All this gets much harder while the thing lies dormant, waiting for no…

> So the "quick bug sweeps" you see in the movies are more difficult. Not if the sweepers are talkative (assuming that the device is sound-activated).

Good ones record long spans of audio, then transmit them in short infrequent bursts outside of working hours. You can leave GSM recording equipment overnight and analyze logs, but even when you see it in the logs it'll be hard to locate the device physically when it's not transmitting.

Re: A low budget consumer hardware espionage implant (2018)

#32

Post by deely3 »

rbanffy wrote: post #18

I’ve been playing with the idea of eye prosthetics for that purpose. At this point, a camera, battery, storage, and radio can all fit inside an aesthetic prosthesis and give it some functionality in itself or augmented by a smartphone.

Something similar to this? https://www.instagram.com/bsmachinist/ Sorry for IG link.

Re: A low budget consumer hardware espionage implant (2018)

#33

Post by seniorivn »

jbosh wrote: post #30
airbreather wrote: post #20

An even easier one would be a modified keyboard. Anyone could fit an esp32 into a keyboard, swap it out, leave it lying around, sniff keystrokes, access with Bluetooth or WiFi, could have it only have the radio on for certain windows in time etc.

Hard part there is getting the wear and tear from oils in your hand to look identical. Although maybe most people don't pay attention to that.

just put it inside the original keyboard

Re: A low budget consumer hardware espionage implant (2018)

#34

Post by almostnormal »

Mo3 wrote: post #26
eythian wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's very country dependent. In NL, NZ, and UK (as of several years ago when I last did that) for example, no ID checks are required. In AU they are.

NL here, no ID check whatsoever

As long as there are no id-checks required for roaming and there is at least one country without id-checks, any id-check for local SIMs is security theater only.

Re: A low budget consumer hardware espionage implant (2018)

#37

Post by aembleton »

fullspectrumdev wrote: post #29
netsharc wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't imagine the UK doesn't have laws to prevent anonymous SIM card purchases, because of terrorism fears. Some duckduckgo-ing suggests it's possible, e.g. someone wrote just go to Tesco to get one and there are no ID checks (but this was written 6 years ago). In any case, just like teenagers buying booze, it's probably not that hard to pay someone off the street to buy one for you.

You can literally go into almost any corner shop in the UK and buy a SIM with no ID and cash. I do this regularly.

Are you regularly swapping SIMs? Are you keeping the same IMEI number?

Re: A low budget consumer hardware espionage implant (2018)

#38

Post by grishka »

eythian wrote: post #24
netsharc wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't imagine the UK doesn't have laws to prevent anonymous SIM card purchases, because of terrorism fears. Some duckduckgo-ing suggests it's possible, e.g. someone wrote just go to Tesco to get one and there are no ID checks (but this was written 6 years ago). In any case, just like teenagers buying booze, it's probably not that hard to pay someone off the street to buy one for you.

It's very country dependent. In NL, NZ, and UK (as of several years ago when I last did that) for example, no ID checks are required. In AU they are.

In Russia they would ask for your internal passport (aka the "ID") and put your name, birth date, and registered address into their database. It's illegal to sell sim cards without that.

When I traveled to Europe recently and bought a French tourist sim, the carrier warned me multiple times that I need to provide my identity to continue using it beyond 30 days.

In UAE it's about as strict as in Russia.

Re: A low budget consumer hardware espionage implant (2018)

#39

Post by rbanffy »

deely3 wrote: post #32
rbanffy wrote: post #18

I’ve been playing with the idea of eye prosthetics for that purpose. At this point, a camera, battery, storage, and radio can all fit inside an aesthetic prosthesis and give it some functionality in itself or augmented by a smartphone.

Something similar to this? https://www.instagram.com/bsmachinist/ Sorry for IG link.

That's very neat. The projector idea is particularly cool.

Re: A low budget consumer hardware espionage implant (2018)

#40

Post by pbmonster »

lupusreal wrote: post #28
pbmonster wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article covers that under the section "detection". TL;DR: You can easily detect it while it communicates via GSM, and the device is also shielded quite badly, resulting in lots of easily detectable RF interference while it works. All you need is a cheap RF detector. Having access to a full spectrum analyzer or a SDR will make this even easier. All this gets much harder while the thing lies dormant, waiting for no…

> So the "quick bug sweeps" you see in the movies are more difficult Isn't that what nonlinear junction detectors are for?

Sure, the question is if you're surprised to get a positive from a USB cable. Wouldn't be surprised to find a diode inside there...
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