How your washing machine and other devices can steal computer files

Source from CNN

Imagine hackers stealing top secret files from a military base. Except they don't need the Internet to pull data out of the facility's computers. Instead, they can just infect an office printer and -- with software alone -- turn it into a radio.

Last week, the team at Red Balloon Security demonstrated how it works to several news reporters.
They infected a Pantum laser printer and toyed with its circuits, making it do something it was never meant to. By quickly switching a chip's energy output back and forth, the printer emits electromagnetic radiation.
Do it real slow? You can actually hear a funky tune. Crank it way up? You get radio waves. Highs and lows become 1s and 0s -- computer code.
The Red Balloon team calls it a "funtenna."

Now that's what I call sneaky, anyone with enough knowledge can do this. The crazy part is it's only detectable by walking around with a AM radio and waiting for interruption in the form of beeps.

This technology isn't really new, as we've had this type of tech during the cold war with data to audio bugs and such. However this is a new take on older methods, with disastrous results for the company being spied on. Your home devices most likely aren't a target, since they would emit shorter ranged signals, since you don't have server room style cables hanging around, these cables can help boost the signal and carry it longer distances.

What's your take on this?

Also found an older post, isn't exactly like this, but is about the CIA foaming at the mouth to monitor you via your household appliances, www.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: Tranceopticalinclined

I saw that article yesterday and thought it was pretty interesting.
Normally my washing machine only steals files when my kids leave flash drives in their pants pockets!

a reply to: Tranceopticalinclined

What's my take?

Well first, we need more basic and rugged products that don't rely on cheap integrated circuits to work and that can be manipulated from unlikely sources. That is seriously asking alot these days.

Second, we need to stop buying things that come with internet capabilities. Your washer doesn't need to tell you it's done via an email. That is plain lazy. Your door lock shouldn't be accessible from the internet because that is really stupid. Common sense may be lacking when it comes to buying these devices, however we just seem to keep buying them...

So we keep finding new ways to get exploited.

My take? We need to educate ourselves more.

originally posted by: peter_kandra
a reply to: Tranceopticalinclined

I saw that article yesterday and thought it was pretty interesting.
Normally my washing machine only steals files when my kids leave flash drives in their pants pockets!

LOL......Good one.

a reply to: peter_kandra

Mine just steals money and papertowels

a reply to: havok

You're absolutely correct, we need to teach the world better security methods and also common sense limitations related to technological accessibility. You can't have the whole cake at once, slices are the way to go, greed and laziness equal no security.

Good ol electromagnetic induction using the copper in cables to boost the signal. One of the issues with this type of thing is the way cables are shielded these days to prevent just this sort of induction because in its natural form it causes unwanted interference. Depending on the quality of said cables will be the difference in this working well or not so much. High dollar cables usually have better shielding and are not as susceptible to this sort of thing however there may be something to the point of using the internal circuits of a electronic machine, which these days is most everything in some form or another, to achieve the induction pulses. This is because there isn't usually the type of shielding that you find in cables built into devices or internal circuits. Good article and interesting to ponder.

Yeah this would be easy.... they described it as toying with its circuits, a little basic electronic knowledge will do the trick. Anything with a decent amount of circuits or wires could be made to transmit information through radio waves or through the power-grid.

Reminds me of my old nokia that use to receive transmitted data. Would literally sound like a high frequency printer going of in the circuitry of the thing.

Sneeky little red balloons intercepting wireless data by nefarious means.

Nothing the government hasnt been doing for years now I speculate.

I swore I'd never use wireless but unfortunately, where the router is hooked up, I kind of have to, unless I buy a whole bunch of ethernet cable and stuff to make it look halfway normal. Frankly, we passed the point of no return when we started using stuff we don't really understand to communicate. Anyone who understands it better than you do can probably hack you.

a reply to: Tranceopticalinclined

With this loopholes, nations like China and North Korea would use this in event of World War 3.

wait until you find out what you can do with old mobilephones that use calypso chipsets... mail the person a free usb stick. You´re set-up...