Malware can turn off webcam LED and record video, demonstrated on ThinkPad X230
Tools for controlling webcam LED on ThinkPad X230. Contribute to xairy/lights-out development by creating an account on GitHub.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.bestiver.se/post/121053
The problem here is that the led was software controlled which always struck me as more of a bandaid then a solution.
A proper hardware switch solution would mean the led and webcam are wired so if the webcam receives any power the led jumps on. The computer shouldn't even know that led exists. Not sure how many devices actually do this though.
The tape on cam solution works on video but might still record sound which is in many cases more dangerous for sensitive information.
Of course one also has to wonder how much it matters having typed this on a phone with cam and microphone uncovered and no indicators.
Yeah, this is exactly the problem. Never should have been software controlled.
And yes, it's getting harder and harder to control for these privacy issues with the number of devices we routinely carry with microphones and cameras.
I believe Framework has their webcam LED setup like this. At a minimum the physical switch cuts power to the whole webcam assembly.
And the Framework Laptop also has a switch for the mic. So even the mic can be completely turned of on the hardware level.
That is exactly how the webcam light is setup in a Framework. The light is wired up to the camera sensors power, so whenever the camera has power, so does the light. The switch also fully disconnects it from the computer itself. At least in Linux, you can verify it using lsusb. You can see the camera indicated as Realtek Semiconductor Corp. Laptop Camera. Whenever the switch is flipped though, it disappears all together from the list.
I believe apple has the led hardwire in MacBooks webcams.
Used to, but not anymore. I recall a similar exploit for MacBooks a few years back.
The problem with that is a USB device is powered even if it's not being used. You can't communicate with it to identify it as a webcam without powering it. So the light will be on any time it's plugged in.
a USB device is powered even if it's not being used.
That's the USB-controller, not the actual cam. It's certainly possible to couple a LED with the power state of the camera chip and it was already done before.
Both android and crapple phones have mic & cam indicators nowadays, tho, and if a piece of software has a level of access high enough to bypass those, you kinda have bigger issues... Also, the webcam receives power by default currently; as the repo mentions, it's just another USB device (well, it's 3v3, and not 5v, but it doesn't really matter here)
IMHO both camera and microphone should have a physical switch disconnecting them.
And you know, the led shouldn't be fucking firmware controlled!
It's a really good idea, but to work reliably, it should be HARDWIRED to light up when the cmos is receiving power.
It feels intentional to fuck this one up.
On phones and tablets as well.
Framework laptops do this- and the switch that kills the camera also slides a shutter over the lens as well.
I just use some gaffers tape to cover the camera.
One complaint I have is a lot of laptop manufacturers who do put a camera slider in, paint the slider red when it's closed and black when it's open. It should be the opposite. Red is dangerous live.
I fix it just using some enameled nail polish. But it seems opposite of what it should be
That's not possible, because the sensor is black (or at least very dark).
Right, but the ring around the sensor is plastic. That plastic could be red. To indicate that the camera is uncovered
They have it that way because it reduces the support calls from idiots who can't figure out why their webcam won't work.
What about the mic?
Plug in a dummy headphone jack. But some microphones are not disabled in hardware when that happens.
The framework laptop does have a hardware switch for that, which is nice
Most laptops have a physical slider that can mask the camera. But I don't know of any tablets or phones that offer this feature.
The Librem 5 offers hardware killswitches on the side of the phone, and the Pinephone offers hardware killswitches in the rear of the device after removing the backplate.
there used to be phones with pop-up cameras for a year or two.
It can't turn off electrical tape.
Anyone else ever join large conference calls from the shower?
Shower? No.
Naked? More times than clothed.
This is why so many laptops, including Lenovo laptops, have webcam covers. You could always put a piece of tape over it lol
Most Thinkpad's have a slidy cover not sure about the mics though
