Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have demonstrated a novel way to spy on electronic conversations called Glowworm, which converts minute fluctuations in the intensity of the power LEDs in the speakers and USB hubs into the audio signals that caused those fluctuations.
Most of the power LEDs are connected directly to the main power line of your device. As such, they are easily influenced by any change in voltage. Researchers at Ben-Gurion University found that by recording the power LED of a desktop speaker with an electro-optical sensor, they could measure imperceptible changes in luminescence and translate these changes into whatever audio the speakers were playing. With the help of a telescope, light worm attacks work at a distance of more than 100 feet. You can even perform a Glowworm attack through glass or retrieve audio from non-speaker devices such as USB hubs.
The strongest feature of the Glowworm attack are its novelty and its passivity. Since the approach requires absolutely no active signaling, it would be immune to any kind of electronic countermeasures sweep. And at the moment, it seems unlikely that a potential target will deliberately wait or defend against Glowworm, although unfortunately this could change once the team document is presented later this year at the CCS 21 security conference.
The total passivity of the attack distinguishes it from similar approaches: a laser microphone can pick up audio from vibrations on a window pane. But defenders can potentially detect the attack using smoke or steam, particularly if they know the likely frequency ranges an attacker could use.
Despite Glowworm’s ability to spy on targets without revealing itself, it’s not something most people need to worry too much about. Unlike the listening devices we mentioned in the previous section, Glowworm does not interact with actual audio at all, only with a side effect of electronic devices that produce audio. This means that, for example, a Glowworm attack used successfully to spy on a conference call would not capture the audio of those actually in the room, only remote participants whose voices are played through the audio system of the room. conference hall.
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