Detect and disconnect WiFi cameras • Hacker News Board

Re: Detect and disconnect WiFi cameras

#31

Post by patcheudor » Sat, Dec 19, 2015, 5:14 PM UTC

singularity2001 wrote: post #12

And don't forget to report those cameras to the authorities, since in many countries it is completely illegal to film people without their consent (in private places).

Interestingly enough, it's also completely illegal in the US to de-auth a WiFi client which is exactly what this is doing and the disclaimer is hardly accurate:

"It may be illegal to use this script in the US."

There's no "may" about it. It is illegal:

https://www.fcc.gov/document/warning-wi-fi-blocking-prohibit...

Two wrongs really don't make a right. Without physically locating the camera you have no idea what is being deauthed. It could be a camera monitoring a locked (unavailable to the guest) room or even a neighbors camera. Not everyone out there is a perv and there are entirely legitimate and expected uses for WiFi cameras which are not creepy.

It would be better to locate the camera and if in a location where privacy is expected, simply call the police because who knows how many other victims there may have been and who knows how creepy the person who put it there is.

Re: Detect and disconnect WiFi cameras

#32

Post by darkr » Sat, Dec 19, 2015, 5:18 PM UTC

aaronem wrote: post #11

andersonmvd wrote: post #4

One easier way to detect (without jamming afterwards), for iOS at least, is to install the "Fing" app, connect to the wifi and scan the network. Then you will know the connected devices and their names. Chances are that cameras will have easy to recognize names on them. EDIT: you'll get the MAC address too, so you can compare if they match camera companies.

For those who don't own an iOS device, or don't feel it is the best tool to do this kind of analysis: The standard tool on OS X or Linux appears to be Kismet[1], which, while I haven't actually used it and so can't vouch for it firsthand, appears to be quite capable. I don't know what, if any, equivalent tool exists for Windows, and since I don't own a Windows laptop, I also don't really care. Edit: Having now instal…

Yeah, kismet and/or airscan are pretty much the two go-to tools for wifi security auditing.

Kali Linux (can run from a bootable live image) has these two plus a whole lot more useful tools for doing this kind of thing.

Re: Detect and disconnect WiFi cameras

#33

Post by hannob » Sat, Dec 19, 2015, 5:21 PM UTC

Beside the legal issues I fear that this is a risk in a way that it could create a false sense of security. I.e. non-technical people thinking "this will make sure I'm not filmed" while this isn't the case. There can be cameras not affected by the script, cameras with cables, cameras with their own storage etc. pp. Of course everyone here will say "that's obvious", but I'm not sure this is obvious for everyone.

Re: Detect and disconnect WiFi cameras

#34

Post by izacus » Sat, Dec 19, 2015, 5:28 PM UTC

lectrick wrote: post #21

Tharkun wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US is obviously a very fucked up place.

The US is a fucked up place because they want to make sure a babysitter doesn't shake their baby to death or a housecleaner doesn't break or pocket something without admitting it? Hyperbole much?

Hrmf, and your sentence isn't a hyperbole?

I mean, if we extend your logic, we should monitor everyone at all times because someone might just accidentally do something to hurt your child right? You never know why an extremely rare event like you mentioned could happen.

Re: Detect and disconnect WiFi cameras

#35

Post by simoncion » Sat, Dec 19, 2015, 5:30 PM UTC

georgemck wrote: post #26

Just need to have two separate networks: one for guests, other for security. Security network has its own hidden SSID. This is not an AIRBNB issue, it's a privacy issue anywhere you go...

Because clients connected to a "hidden" SSID broadcast -in cleartext- that AP's SSID in many frames that they and the AP transmit as a normal part of operation, [0] deactivating SSID broadcasts gains you no security, a fair bit of inconvenience, and -potentially- reduced battery life when you move out of range of the AP as the client spams "are you here?" messages, rather than taking the absence of SSID broadcasts as a sign that it's out of range of the AP.

Now, you could "hide" your SSID to reduce the number of SSIDs that appear in a WiFi network browser in a congested area... but that's a thing that -IMO- doesn't get you much for the hassle.

For security, either use WPA2-Personal in AES/CCMP-only mode with a long, randomly-generated password, or WPA2-Enterprise [1] in the same mode.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_cloaking#False_Sense_o...

[1] Maybe even with client authorization through certs! :D

Re: Detect and disconnect WiFi cameras

#36

Post by grahamburger » Sat, Dec 19, 2015, 5:31 PM UTC

pavel_lishin wrote: post #23

ck2 wrote: post #2

Except a $10 spare smartphone can be turned into a wifi camera very easily. So it only works if they are using one of those two off the shelf cameras.

Are there any guides to doing this? We're about to have a baby, and don't want to drop a few hundred bucks on a baby video monitor system - I'd rather just ziptie a phone to the shelf above the crib.

Search either app store for 'baby monitor' and take your pick. I can't remember the name of the one we settled on when my son was born earlier this year but all of the ones I tried worked reasonably well.

Re: Detect and disconnect WiFi cameras

#37

Post by coob » Sat, Dec 19, 2015, 5:34 PM UTC

hannob wrote: post #33

Beside the legal issues I fear that this is a risk in a way that it could create a false sense of security. I.e. non-technical people thinking "this will make sure I'm not filmed" while this isn't the case. There can be cameras not affected by the script, cameras with cables, cameras with their own storage etc. pp. Of course everyone here will say "that's obvious", but I'm not sure this is obvious for everyone.

Non technical people are going to run shell scripts?

Re: Detect and disconnect WiFi cameras

#38

Post by 17760704 » Sat, Dec 19, 2015, 5:40 PM UTC

userbinator wrote: post #29

dheera wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stepping aside from legality, and speaking purely from ethics, there's a big difference between "hiring someone to provide a service for your own private home" and "renting out a temporary place of residence for someone". Ethically speaking I'd say it's completely okay to monitor the former, whether that service is a plumber or a babysitter, and whether the monitoring is done with a camera or your own human eyes. Tho…

I'd say that if you're renting to someone else, it's still your property so you should be free to monitor it, but not disclosing the presence of cameras or other monitoring devices should be illegal.

Ownership is a bundle of rights. In the U.S., if you have rented out a property you "own" to another person, you do not have the right to enter that property without prior notice or consent of that person.

Re: Detect and disconnect WiFi cameras

#39

Post by scurvy » Sat, Dec 19, 2015, 5:48 PM UTC

hannob wrote: post #33

Beside the legal issues I fear that this is a risk in a way that it could create a false sense of security. I.e. non-technical people thinking "this will make sure I'm not filmed" while this isn't the case. There can be cameras not affected by the script, cameras with cables, cameras with their own storage etc. pp. Of course everyone here will say "that's obvious", but I'm not sure this is obvious for everyone.

Ironic that you're going to worry about legal issues while renting an illegal hotel room. Considering AirBnB is all about pushing boundaries and outright disregard for the law, the use of this script seems completely apropos.

Re: Detect and disconnect WiFi cameras

#40

Post by maxerickson » Sat, Dec 19, 2015, 5:49 PM UTC

lectrick wrote: post #21

Tharkun wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US is obviously a very fucked up place.

The US is a fucked up place because they want to make sure a babysitter doesn't shake their baby to death or a housecleaner doesn't break or pocket something without admitting it? Hyperbole much?

So the camera is the thin line between the stranger killing the child or not? Sounds pretty fucked up.

(I realize this isn't really addressing your intended meaning, but the ambiguity is there in what you said, which is pretty...)