Webcam/microphone monitoring

[dninja at gmail.com (Robin Wood)]

2008/12/19 Nathan Sweaney <NSweaney at tulsacash.com>:
> While purchasing some new laptops a discussion came up about the trend
> towards built-in webcams and associated security concerns.  If I
> remember correctly, back in the day Back Orifice could discretely
> monitor the host's webcam and microphone.  Are there any more recent
> applications that do anything similar?  Has anyone seen recent research
> in this area?
>
> If possible I'd like to be able to show the potential danger & recommend
> that we disable any built-in webcams that aren't necessary, but I'm also
> interested in the ability for use during pen-tests.

At a conference I went to earlier in the year a stand was giving out
blank 3.5m jack plugs that you plugged in to the mic socket on the
laptop, most machines apparently disable the internal mic when they
think an external one is plugged in.

Doesn't help show the danger but is a very cheap fix if you decide there is one.

Robin