Scientists hacked into a computer just by watching its LEDs blink

Teams of researchers from Cornell University and Ben-Gurion University have developed a new technology for breaking into various gadgets and information systems protected by cryptography. The method is very effective and is based on a subtle analysis of the glow of… an ordinary LED. Scientists noticed that any manipulations with data are accompanied by changes in current consumption. This makes the power indicator of the computer unit blink, which can be seen as a channel for hacker attacks.

Sound patterns or changes in the electromagnetic field can also act in this role. For example, by analyzing video of the smart card reader’s power indicator blinking, recorded from a distance of 16 meters by a hacked IP camera, scientists were able to recover a complex 256-bit encryption key. In another experiment, a speaker power indicator connected together with a smartphone to the same hub gave enough data to reveal the 378-bit encryption key of the Samsung Galaxy 8.

In capable hands, this technology could become a real weapon. The danger of the method lies in the fact that only a smartphone is enough to conduct a hack, and the attack itself can be completely invisible to others. Moreover, the hack can be successful even if the hackers are far enough away from the device being hacked.