Can it turn off the tape on my camera?
Malware can turn off webcam LED and record video, demonstrated on ThinkPad X230
441–450 of 554 posts
Re: Malware can turn off webcam LED and record video, demonstrated on ThinkPad X230
#442Earlier quoted context omitted.
If they promise a feature they don't have that is falwe advertising.
The feature is an LED light next to the camera. They delivered it.
The exact words matter. If they call it a led they are maybe fine. If they call it a camera on led they are sunk. Even if they just call it a led, the implication that it is about camera on is an arguement the courts will not toss out - though how they rule is not as clear
Re: Malware can turn off webcam LED and record video, demonstrated on ThinkPad X230
#443Earlier quoted context omitted.
> and no firmware is involved in enforcing the LED stay on for 3 seconds after a single frame is captured. I may be the oddball here, but that 3 second duration does not comfort me. The only time I would notice it is if I am sitting in front of the computer. While someone snapping a photo of me while working is disconcerting, it is not the end of the world. Someone snapping photos while I am away from the screen is m…
It's strange that none of these companies will include a closable cover for the camera. I got one aftermarket. It is very reassuring since no hacking or accidental misclicks on my part can move the cover.
Higher end Lenovos and Dell Latitude / Precision tend to. Was one reason why I went for a Latitude 74XX rather than a 54XX or 34XX when looking at them last time.
Re: Malware can turn off webcam LED and record video, demonstrated on ThinkPad X230
#444What if, for some reason, the webcam's LED failed (e.g., it physically stopped working)? In case of a malware attack, you might not even realize that your webcam is being used even if the malware can't have access to control the LED. In my opinion, the most effective way to protect yourself against webcam hacking is to physically cover the camera with a sticker or cover when it’s not in use. Simply put, I believe phy…
Seems like you wrote your text, asked chatGPT to rephrase it, pasted the new version and forgot to remove the previous one. Looks like you used ChatGPT to rephrase your text but forgot to delete the original version.
Oops! You got me :)
Re: Malware can turn off webcam LED and record video, demonstrated on ThinkPad X230
#445Earlier quoted context omitted.
You can buy/print and stick a physical «webcam cover»[1] manually on your notebook or phone. My current notebook, manufactured in 2023, has very thin bar on top of screen with camera, so I need a thin, U-like attachment for the switch, which is hard to find. [1]: https://www.printables.com/model/2479-webcam-cover-slider
Am I the only one that is not worried at all about the camera and super concerned about microphones ? The camera may see me staring into the screen, woo hoo. The microphones will hear everything I discuss, incl. confidential information. There is no physical microphone cover there, is it ?
And the true or not Google or other apps listening then you see ads based on that conversation. I think it's true since far too many times obscure things I've spoken about appear in ads soon after the conversation. So yes I'd say a mic blocking feature you can confirm is working, blocking, is needed.
Re: Malware can turn off webcam LED and record video, demonstrated on ThinkPad X230
#446Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your speakers are a microphone ..
Yeah, but they aren't an input device with an amp wired in the right direction and an A/D converter to read it out.
If there is a discrete PA in the speaker path, then not. But I would not be that surprised if there is a single chip codec + PA combination that can conect an internal ADC to pins that are primarily meant as PA outputs of the integrated PA.
Re: Malware can turn off webcam LED and record video, demonstrated on ThinkPad X230
#447Earlier quoted context omitted.
Am I the only one that is not worried at all about the camera and super concerned about microphones ? The camera may see me staring into the screen, woo hoo. The microphones will hear everything I discuss, incl. confidential information. There is no physical microphone cover there, is it ?
The camera privacy issue arises because teenagers and college kids often have their computer in their bedroom. So a webcam hack that lets them watch my 16 year old daughter study would also let them watch her sleeping, getting dressed, and making out with her boyfriend.
It's not only a teenager or college kid issue. I've seen adults with a computer in their bedroom because it's a kind of private space where they don't expect anybody to inadvertently bump into it.
My laptop is in my bedroom in winter, right now, because it's one of the smallest rooms and I can heat it easily. I use it in other parts of the house in the other seasons. I do have a sliding cover on the camera. I bought it years ago. The main issue is the microphone.
Re: Malware can turn off webcam LED and record video, demonstrated on ThinkPad X230
#448[dead]
Re: Malware can turn off webcam LED and record video, demonstrated on ThinkPad X230
#449Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is the right solution. And a hardware switch cost is completely negligible in a $1000 laptop.
But the margins?
Customers wouldn't care to pay a dollar more on a thousand plus device. This would likely increase the margin instead of shrinking it.