Technology

I’ll believe it when it actually happens. Until then you can’t convince me that an algorithm can tell what letter was typed from hearing the action through a microphone.

This sounds like absolute bullshit to me.

The part that gets me is that the ONLY reason this works is because they first have to use a keylogger to capture the keystrokes of the target, then use that as an input to train the algorithm. If you switch out the target with someone else it no longer works.

This process starts with using a keylogger. The fuck you need “ai” for if you have a keylogger?!? Lol.

Tangentially related: Did you know, that it‘s technically also possible to reconstruct sound via smartphone accelerometers and there‘s no restrictions on which apps can use it. Have fun with this info (:

It looks like they only tested one keyboard from a MacBook. I'd be curious if other keyboard styles are as susceptible to the attack. It also doesn't say how many people's typing that they listened to. I know mine changes depending on my mood or excitement about something, I'm sure that would affect it.

laughs in custom multi-layer orthogonal layout with one-of-a-kind enclosure & artisan keycaps

You have to train it on per device + per room basis and you don't give everything access to your microphones

I’m sweating. I use blue switches. Help.

Assuming that this does not only work on English words, this is actually really terrifying.

Good luck hearing my cherry reds as I type slowly and softly!

I find this article kinda mid bc No link to og paper Article doesn't specify what kinds of keystrokes were being detected (so title seems kind of clickbait)

• probably not all kinds of keyboards if they only trained model on macbooks? Also no mention of kind of data used to demonstrate 95% accuracy

Does the research presume the use of a qwerty keyboard?

Phreaking for the modern era.

Van Eck Phreaking?

It was a pipe dream then, and it's a pipe dream now.

Sweet! More man-made horrors beyond my comprehension! I sure am glad we're investing our time into things that will never be stolen or misused!

When your ADHD fidgeting and a mic attached to your head become a super power. No one can read my keystrokes!

Will a faraday bag help with a phone? Seeing how it blocks connections. You can unplug desktop mics.

Wasn't that a thing already? Thought it was part of the Snowden releases.

Fucking yikes

From the article:

The researchers gathered training data by pressing 36 keys on a modern MacBook Pro 25 times each and recording the sound produced by each press.

In their experiments, the researchers used the same laptop, whose keyboard has been used in all Apple laptops for the past two years, an iPhone 13 mini placed 17cm away from the target, and Zoom.

Now they should do this under real usage and see if they get anywhere close to 95% accuracy. Phones are usually in pockets, people listen to music, not everyone has a MacBook.

I think it will be difficult for the average person to use this attack effectively, but I think this will become some sort of government spy thing for sure.

A very widespread implication of this is if you are on a call with a bad actor and are on speaker phone, and you enter your password while talking to them, they could potentially get that password or other sensitive information that you typed.

Assuming it really is that accurate, a real-world attack could go something like this. Call someone and social engineer them in a way that causes them to type their login credentials, payment information, whatever, into the proper place for them. They will likely to this without a second thought because "well, I'm signing into the actual place that uses those credentials and not a link someone sent me so it's all good! I even typed in the address myself so I'm sure there's no URL trickery!" And then attempt to extract what they typed. Lots of people, especially when taking calls or voice conference meetings or whatever from their desk, prefer to not hold their phone to their ear of use a headset mic and instead just use their normal laptop mic or an desktop external one. And, most people stop talking when they're focused on typing which makes it even easier. Hell if you manage to reach, say, the IT server department of a major company and play your cards right, you might even be able to catch them entering a root password for a system that's remotely accessible.