Communications of the ACM
Researchers Discover Computer Screens Emit Sounds That Reveal Data
Credit: Getty Images
Researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Michigan have discovered a computer version of synesthesia that can be used to identify data displayed on a monitor by listening to high-pitched tones the screen emits. The vulnerability exists in most flat-panel monitors and can reveal contents to remote parties such as state-sponsored hackers.
The researchers found they could pick up the tiny sounds with a microphone in a standard consumer webcam, a smartphone, or a digital assistant. They also determined that an eavesdropper can record the sounds over a remote call.
The team says the sounds are emitted by components in the power supplies of liquid-crystal display monitors as their electrical load changes. This load shifts in response to changes in the onscreen pixels as a result of computer inputs, causing a change in the power supply load that triggers tone emission.
From eWeek
View Full Article
Abstracts Copyright © 2018 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
No entries found