It is not a science fiction story. Nor is it a tale taken from a spy movie. There is a new method of hacking or violating the privacy of users who continue to use wired headphones.
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The solution is to switch to any Bluetooth-connected device or be careful about what you are listening to or talking about while using wired headphones.
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The website Xataka reports on a new security firm’s findings, revealing a method to intercept the sound emitted by the notebooks or Android and iPhone smartphones.
Security vulnerability is not critical when you use the speakers of the same electronic device, but it increases when you connect the headphones through the audio input ports.
The report says that wired headphones act as an antenna, something that we know if we used to tune in to FM radio signals with the old app that came with Android.
So, with this action, the signal is amplified, becoming detectable within a 15-meter radius. Hackers are able to pick up any conversation within that perimeter and run it through a program that removes distortion in order to have the content of what you are listening to or saying. They reconstruct an audio file with a 7.44% error.
They use Periscope to set up a whole espionage system through electromagnetic radiation.
Why is this a problem? Someone could listen to a conversation on WhatsApp (voice notes or calls) where you are given (or give) confidential information.
The security firm’s report cited by the mentioned site indicates that companies like Apple, Lenovo, Huawei, Vivo, OPPO, and Dell reported vulnerabilities of this type.