A group of researchers claim they have developed a malware that can extract data from a single computer without an internet connection (or from a camera or an audio machine) using sounds generated by the machine processor and cooling fans! !
In their document researchers at Israel's Ben Gurion University are describing how an attack can be carried out against isolated machines that should not normally be accessible.
While similar demonstrations have previously been made using ultrasonic waves emanating from the machine's speakers, the Israeli researchers are talking about transmitting data through the speed of the CPU's fans and the machine, which does not require any speakers, cameras or other material.
In a related question, the researchers explain: “We use a successful method of data transmission from a cooled computer with air, without the use of audio material and with a smartphone in the same space. This method can be used to leak data from various types of IT equipment, as well as from integrated IoT systems and devices that do not have audio material, but contain fans of various types and sizes.
The malware which probably infects the machines (perhaps via a USB), works a bit like Morse code. Once installed, it detects the data on the machine and transmits it by controlling the speed of the machine processor and the cooling fans, generating acoustic waveforms that receive and decrypt a nearby listening device (possibly from a smartphone capable of retransmitting data to villain).
Of course, this means that the transfer speed is relatively subdued: Researchers say they were able to extract data at a speed of up to 900 bits / hour from a listening device that would be placed within 8 meters of the machine.
This research seems to be inspired by a similar one, the badBIOS, which reported that it could somehow hide a malware into the core of an operating system and leak data by transmitting ultrasound through the computer speakers.
All this may seem far-fetched, you don't understand why someone would go to such trouble for your computer. Obviously no one cares about a mere mortal's personal computer, but the bioengineering espionage, national espionage and espionage against a senior executive businesss takes very seriously any imaginative idea that can give her results.
