A new threat to privacy has surfaced, as scientists in the United States have discovered a technique to eavesdrop on video feeds from cameras in a variety of devices, including smartphones and home security systems.
The EM Eye technique has the ability to take pictures through walls as well, which raises serious concerns regarding potential misuse.
Kevin Fu, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern University, conducted the research, which focuses on a vulnerability in the data transfer cables found in modern cameras. These connections unintentionally serve as radio antennas, emitting electromagnetic information that can be detected and decoded to provide real-time video.
According to Tech Xplore, the threat exists because companies focus on protecting cameras' valuable digital interfaces, such as the upload channel to the cloud, while ignoring the possibility of information leaking via inadvertent channels. "They never intended for this wire to become a radio transmitter, but it is," Fu said. "If you have your lens open, even if you think you have the camera off, we're collecting."
The EM Eye approach has been tested on 12 different kinds of cameras, including smartphones, dashcams, and home security systems. The distance required to eavesdrop varies, although it is possible to do so from as far away as 16 feet.
The method does not require the camera to be recording, thus any device with an open lens is potentially vulnerable. Fu recommends that people use plastic lens covers as a first step in mitigating this threat, while he warns that infrared signals can still penetrate them.
Fu believes that these discoveries serve as a wake-up call for manufacturers to fix this security hole in their designs. "If you want to have a complete cybersecurity story, yes, do the good science, but you also have to do the computer engineering and the electrical engineering if you want to protect against these kinds of eavesdropping surveillance threats," he stated.
This research reveals a substantial and ubiquitous risk to privacy in a society where cameras are everywhere. In the words of Fu, "Basically, anywhere there's a camera, now there's a risk.”