Breaking Into a Smart Home With A Laser - Smarter Every Day 229

TL;DR

Smart home devices with MEMS microphones can be controlled remotely using lasers, posing a security risk.

Transcript

(Smart Lock Opening) (Smart Lock Dingsl) - [Destin] It just worked. - [Ben] Yep. - Alexa, Okay Google, Hey Siri, set a reminder to subscribe to Smarter Every Day. You have a microphone listening to you in the room right now, what I just did probably worked to a small percentage of you. That is terrifying. Another thing that is terrifying is there a... Read More

Key Insights

• 🛀 Smart home devices with MEMS microphones can be controlled remotely using lasers, showing a potential security vulnerability.
• 👻 The laser attacks work by inducing vibrations or charge changes in the microphones, allowing attackers to issue commands without any acoustic feedback.
• 😴 Different devices have different levels of vulnerability, with some requiring pin codes or unlocked phones for commands.

Questions & Answers

Q: How do smart home devices with MEMS microphones work?

Smart home devices with MEMS microphones use a micro electro mechanical system to detect sound vibrations. When sound hits the diaphragm of the microphone, it flexes and changes the capacitance, which is then converted into a digital waveform.

Q: How are lasers used to control these devices?

The lasers are aimed at the MEMS microphones, and the light is expected to induce either a photoelectric effect or thermal effects on the microphone's membrane, causing it to vibrate and mimic the sound required to issue a command.

Q: Are all smart home devices vulnerable to laser attacks?

Not all smart home devices are equally vulnerable. Different devices have different levels of security measures in place, such as requiring a pin code or unlocking the phone before executing commands.

Q: How can users protect themselves from laser attacks?

Keeping smart home devices out of the line of sight or covering the microphones with materials that block laser light can protect against laser attacks. Users should also ensure they have strong pin codes and keep their devices updated with the latest security patches.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Smart home devices, such as thermostats, door locks, and garage openers, can be controlled using voice commands through devices like Google Home, Amazon Echo, and Siri.

• Researchers have discovered that these devices can also be controlled remotely using lasers aimed at the MEMS microphones embedded in them.

• By exploiting the vulnerabilities in these microphones, attackers can issue commands to the devices without any acoustic feedback, potentially compromising security.