arXiv: Hackers Will Be Able to Steal Data from Computers by Relying on Monitor Noise
Experts from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel) have described a method for wiretapping and stealing data through a computer monitor. The study has been published on a preprint server arXiv.
Scientist Mordechai Guri said that every computer LCD monitor generates a barely audible noise due to the oscillations of coils and capacitors, as well as internal vibrations. The sounds are linked to the image on the screen. Using special software, attackers can steal data.
The new eavesdropping method, called PIXHELL, relies on a hacked laptop or smartphone within two meters of a target PC with a monitor. The device can record sounds from the computer screen, then interpret them, obtain images with private information, and transmit them to hackers.
According to Guri, LCD monitors produce noise at a frequency of 0-22 kilohertz, while the human ear hears sounds in the range of 20 hertz to 20 kilohertz. This makes the PIXHELL attack particularly stealthy. When used, a hacked device can receive data from a computer with a monitor at a speed of up to 20 bits per second.
At the end of July, Anton Nemkin, a member of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, revealed signs of wiretapping on a telephone. First of all, these include overheating of the device, noise and echo during calls.
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