Hackers Can Turn Headphones Into A Microphone And Listen In

Researchers have been able to turn headphones into a microphone to unknowingly eavesdrop in background. Researcher designed a code called ‘Speake(a)r, which ‘retasks’ a computer’s outputs to inputs – allowing them to record audio even when the headphones were in the output-only jack.  Craig Young, Security Researcher at Tripwire commented below.

Craig Young, Security Researcher at Tripwire:

“It is very interesting to learn that the RealTek audio chip set allows reprogramming an output line to be used as input. Although I didn’t see confirmation of this, it is reasonable to expect that this malware would require full system access and that it would have a very identifiable behavior profile that anti malware tools could block.”