Be careful with drones that can steal data from the computer's LED light

[Abstract] When a computer hard disk LED light flashes, a hacker can intrude and transmit the data to the drone camera without anybody knowing it.

Tencent Digital (Blue Sky) drones have become more and more popular recently, because everyone found it useful. However, there is a problem with drones when they are used: immoral or even illegal. Drones can be used to steal data, steal it from a computer, and steal it with flashing light from a PC. The drone that mounts the camera is hovering in the sky, the LED of the computer flashes, and the data is transmitted to the drone.

Fortunately, stealing data was achieved experimentally and researchers at Ben-Gurion University in Israel completed the experiment. In order to complete the attack and prevent the attack, the researchers designed a scheme that uses the "air gap" system to separate sensitive data from potential hackers. However, if an attacker can inject malware into the system, the researchers’ method will fail because the computer hard disk LED light may leak data every time it blinks.

Mordechai Guri, a researcher at Ben-Gurion University in Israel, said: "If an attacker finds an entry point in the air gap system, malware can send data to the attacker. The attacker can control the hard disk. The LED indicator flashes up to 6000 times per second. We can transmit data over long distances at very fast speeds."

During the course of the study, the team found that they could transmit data at a rate of 4000 bits per second. Malware could even let the flicker repeat, ensuring that the data would not be lost.

Computer LED lights are always flashing, and malware is unlikely to cause suspicion when it runs. The researchers also found that if the data for reading each time is less than 4k bytes, the LED flashes for less than 1/5 milliseconds. With the "on-off keying (OOK)" system, flashing sends information to the camera and light sensor. The smartphone camera can only accept 60 bits of data per second. The GoPro camera can receive 120 bits per second, which is too slow. So researchers use the Siemens photodiode sensor, which can transmit 4000 bits of data per second.

Let the LED light blink quickly and not be noticed by the human eye. At the same time, using an optical sensor to collect data, the attacker can do it completely. Researchers suggest that if you want to prevent attackers from invading, it's best to use an air gap system to isolate the machine and keep it in a safe room away from windows.

We can put a thin layer of film on the windows of the building, which can shield the camera from flashing light. There is software on the market that can connect to the hard disk and create noise. This can be disturbed when an attacker steals data from the hard disk LED light.

The easiest and most effective way to stop an attack is to cover the LED light. If the drone does not see LED light, there is no way to steal data.

Source: trendintech