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Cameras continue to shrink in size and price. TEMPEST / Van Eck phreaking can be used to detect and locate hidden cameras, https://www.usenix.org/system/files/s

Cameras continue to shrink in size and price. TEMPEST / Van Eck phreaking can be used to detect and locate hidden cameras, https://www.usenix.org/system/files/sec24fall-prepub-357-zhang-qibo.pdf https://www.usenix.org/system/files/sec24fall-prepub-357-zha... > For all spy cameras.. raw image.. encoding and compression.. takes place in an inbuilt read-write memory whose operations cause electromagnetic radiation (EMR).. Whenever the visual scene changes, bursts of video data processing.. aggravate the memory workload, bringing responsive EMR patterns. ESauron can detect spy cameras by intentionally stimulating scene changes and then sensing the surge of EMRs.. Experiments with 50 camera products show that ESauron can detect all spy cameras with an accuracy of 100% after only 4 stimuli, the detection range can exceed 20 meters even in the presence of blockages, and all spy cameras can be accurately located.

Arrath 2y ago
Very interesting read, thanks for the link!
someplaceguy 2y ago
That's really cool! I wonder how soon I can buy one of these ESauron thingies.
duggan 2y ago
Just from the abstract it seems like this could be defeated by spy camera manufacturers by placing a Faraday cage around the camera components. It looks like they acknowledge that under Limitations: > The latest smartphones employ low-power DDR techniques [49][50] and integrate Faraday cages internally to mitigate electromagnetic radiation (EMR) leakage [51]. The combination of the two measures significantly increase difficulty to detect smart- phone cameras’ memory EMRs using the current ESauron prototype.
- walterbell 2y ago
  > smartphones.. integrate Faraday cages internally to mitigate.. EMR Conductive inks can shield specific components, https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-report/conductive-ink-markets-2019-2029-forecasts-technologies-players/665 https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-report/conductive-ink-m... Spray-on inks are targeting package-level EMI shielding.. Jetted inks are also being proposed for in-package EMI isolation between individual dies in a multi-die package especially for high-frequency devices. Some suppliers propose micron-sized, prioritising cost and maturity. Flat flakes offer higher conductivity if aligned well. Others develop nano or even particle-free inks, offering the thinnest solution.. Most offer a hybrid solution, siting somewhere between full nano to full micro and full spherical to full flake.. Some.. mechanisms to fine-tune layer thickness post-deposition to locally boost performance in EMI hotspots.
05 2y ago
On the other hand, knowing how the detection works you could shield the camera and suspend operations when significant luminance changes are detected. Cat and mouse, as usual :)
rogerpeters 2y ago
On my iOS, after clicking that link you provided I immediately got a pop up I have never seen before: “Failed to Add Pass An error occurred while adding the pass to Wallet. Please try again later.” Brave on latest iOS. Lockdown mode enabled for 6 months. There’s something not right about that PDF.
- jeroenhd 2y ago
  Looks like your OS thought it was a travel pass (but it wasn't). I think that's a buggy iOS feature, not some kind of cyber attack.
  - rogerpeters 2y ago
    I’d say try turning on lockdown mode and opening the PDF, but just in case, maybe scan it on VirusTotal (I just did it’s first ever scan) and check out the behaviour analysis, there seems to be a lot going on compared with other PDF’s I have scanned. Dropped javascript and more.
- Flameancer 2y ago
  Hmm on iOS I had no issues, but I also don’t have lockdown mode enabled
  - rogerpeters 2y ago
    I scanned it on VirusTotal, it had never been scanned before, it isn’t picking up detected sig. But, with it’s behaviour analysis it is creeping me out. Take a look at it please… I think you will agree? That user has been posting a lot of links to pdf’s every day hosted on wordpress platforms and more. I haven’t began scanning those yet.
    - Flameancer 2y ago
      I’m unfortunately not able to view on desktop since I’m traveling but I’ll have to take a look upon my return tomorrow. Seems fishy the fact it was flagged with lockdown is suspicious.

Arrath 2y ago

Very interesting read, thanks for the link!

someplaceguy 2y ago

That's really cool! I wonder how soon I can buy one of these ESauron thingies.

duggan 2y ago

Just from the abstract it seems like this could be defeated by spy camera manufacturers by placing a Faraday cage around the camera components. It looks like they acknowledge that under Limitations: > The latest smartphones employ low-power DDR techniques [49][50] and integrate Faraday cages internally to mitigate electromagnetic radiation (EMR) leakage [51]. The combination of the two measures significantly increase difficulty to detect smart- phone cameras’ memory EMRs using the current ESauron prototype.

walterbell 2y ago
> smartphones.. integrate Faraday cages internally to mitigate.. EMR Conductive inks can shield specific components, https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-report/conductive-ink-markets-2019-2029-forecasts-technologies-players/665 https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-report/conductive-ink-m... Spray-on inks are targeting package-level EMI shielding.. Jetted inks are also being proposed for in-package EMI isolation between individual dies in a multi-die package especially for high-frequency devices. Some suppliers propose micron-sized, prioritising cost and maturity. Flat flakes offer higher conductivity if aligned well. Others develop nano or even particle-free inks, offering the thinnest solution.. Most offer a hybrid solution, siting somewhere between full nano to full micro and full spherical to full flake.. Some.. mechanisms to fine-tune layer thickness post-deposition to locally boost performance in EMI hotspots.

05 2y ago

On the other hand, knowing how the detection works you could shield the camera and suspend operations when significant luminance changes are detected. Cat and mouse, as usual :)

rogerpeters 2y ago

On my iOS, after clicking that link you provided I immediately got a pop up I have never seen before: “Failed to Add Pass An error occurred while adding the pass to Wallet. Please try again later.” Brave on latest iOS. Lockdown mode enabled for 6 months. There’s something not right about that PDF.

jeroenhd 2y ago
Looks like your OS thought it was a travel pass (but it wasn't). I think that's a buggy iOS feature, not some kind of cyber attack.
- rogerpeters 2y ago
  I’d say try turning on lockdown mode and opening the PDF, but just in case, maybe scan it on VirusTotal (I just did it’s first ever scan) and check out the behaviour analysis, there seems to be a lot going on compared with other PDF’s I have scanned. Dropped javascript and more.
Flameancer 2y ago
Hmm on iOS I had no issues, but I also don’t have lockdown mode enabled
- rogerpeters 2y ago
  I scanned it on VirusTotal, it had never been scanned before, it isn’t picking up detected sig. But, with it’s behaviour analysis it is creeping me out. Take a look at it please… I think you will agree? That user has been posting a lot of links to pdf’s every day hosted on wordpress platforms and more. I haven’t began scanning those yet.
  - Flameancer 2y ago
    I’m unfortunately not able to view on desktop since I’m traveling but I’ll have to take a look upon my return tomorrow. Seems fishy the fact it was flagged with lockdown is suspicious.