As reported by Network World, hackers have developed a new, non-traditional form of keylogging, involving nothing more than electrical outlets and cheap lasers. The technique, dubbed ‘Power-Line Exploit,’ is scheduled to be demonstrated in Las Vegas this month at the Black Hat USA 2009 security conference.
The following from Network World explains the first part of the keylogging technique: “In the power-line exploit, the attacker grabs the keyboard signals that are generated by hitting keys. Because the data wire within the keyboard cable is unshielded, the signals leak into the ground wire in the cable, and from there into the ground wire of the electrical system feeding the computer. Bit streams generated by the keyboards that indicate what keys have been struck create voltage fluctuations in the grounds.”
I know what you’re thinking. You’ll just leave your laptop unplugged, right? You’ll just type away on a fully charged battery with no worries and…WRONG! What did you think the cheap lasers were for?
Network World further explains that, in the case of unplugged laptops, “Attackers point a cheap laser, slightly better than what is used in laser pointers, at a shiny part of a laptop or even an object on the table with the laptop. A receiver is aligned to capture the reflected light beam and the modulations that are caused by the vibrations resulting from striking the keys.”
So next time you’re waiting around in an airport, for instance, shell out some change for a newspaper, or one of those ridiculous, 300+ page Sudoku books to pass the time. Keep your laptop tucked away, or, at the very least, find a damp, dark crevice to crawl into first.
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