Smartphone camera and microphone help steal PIN codes

Scientists warn that hackers can get a PIN for a smartphone using a microphone and camera. A new way of hacking was demonstrated by using the same program created by themselves, which eavesdrops on the sounds of pressing virtual buttons and spy on user face .

The PIN Skimmer software uses a built-in smartphone camera to monitor your face, and a microphone to record the sound of your finger strokes on the screen. Tests were conducted on smartphones Google Nexus S and Samsung Galaxy S3, reports the BBC.

We have demonstrated that the camera, which is usually used for holding conferences or recognizing the user's face, can be used for evil purposes, ”say system authors Ross Anderson and Laurent Simon of the University of Cambridge.

The camera examines the orientation of the phone and relates the information to the sounds while dialing the code. Scientists say that in this way you can determine which parts of the smartphone screen the user touched.

You press the keys, and we watch your face. We were surprised at how well this method works, says Anderson.

After five attempts, the program recognized more than half of the four-digit PIN codes. Ten attempts were enough to reveal 60 percent of the eight-digit codes.

The authors of the article raise the question of what resources should be available to a smartphone while entering a PIN code. Recently, a growing number of users who use a PIN code, not only to lock the screen of the smartphone, but also to access applications that contain banking information.

Researchers note that long and random passwords do not solve the problem, but only complicate the usability of the smartphone. A more effective (radical) solution may be the use of fingerprint scanners or face recognition systems. Some technology companies, including Apple, have already begun to move to this practice.

The article is based on materials https://hi-news.ru/phone/kamera-i-mikrofon-smartfona-pomogayut-vorovat-pin-kody.html.