Okay, So Apparently Even Your Headphones Can Spy On You

We have all probably heard at some point or another the threat of hackers using webcams to spy on us, but what about headphones?

Wired reports a group of researchers at Ben-Gurion University in Israel have created a new code that proves it’s entirely possible for hackers to re-purpose headphones into microphones. (Oh boy…)

It means that, technically, hackers could use our headphones to secretly record audio, even if you’ve disabled or removed your computer’s internal microphone.

So yeah, unfortunately the whole "sticker-over-webcam" method we've all tried and tested won't quite work in this case.

Mordechai Guri, the research lead of Ben Gurion’s Cyber Security Research Labs, said, “People don’t think about this privacy vulnerability… Even if you remove your computer’s microphone, if you use headphones you can be recorded.”

Wired points out that headphones are built on the same underlying electromagnetic principles as microphones, so it’s not really breaking news that headphones can be used as mics.

What researchers have discovered is this: It’s possible to change the RealTek audio codec chips found in desktop and laptop computers from “output” to “input” without the user’s knowledge. (Which is where the whole "spying" thing comes in.)

The malware is designed so that recording can be activated even when headphones remain connected into a jack that’s designed for “output-only”. In fact, they don’t even need to have a microphone channel on their plug.

According to research, it’s possible to “record from as far as 20 feet away”.

“Almost every computer today [is] vulnerable to this type of attack,” said Mr Guri. Apparently, the hack could only be eliminated by replacing the RealTek chip in future computers.

Oh, and in case you thought your phone was safe, well, maybe not. Researchers are currently investigating whether the hack applies to other audio codec chips, including ones in smartphones.

The world is a scary place.

Photo: Fox