Ultrasound Tracking / Hacking Revisited
An Anonymous Coward writes:
Today I'd like to revisit an often ignored/known method for tracking/hacking for SN discussion!
[Editor's Comment: Much of the discussion in the links originates from 2013-2016. That could mean several things. 1. It wasn't shown to be very effective, or 2. It is effective but very difficult to detect and counter. ]
Ultrasound Tracking Could Be Used to Deanonymize Tor Users
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ultrasound-tracking-could-be-used-to-deanonymize-tor-users/
Their research focuses on the science of ultrasound cross-device tracking (uXDT), a new technology that started being deployed in modern-day advertising platforms around 2014.
uXDT relies on advertisers hiding ultrasounds in their ads. When the ad plays on a TV or radio, or some ad code runs on a mobile or computer, it emits ultrasounds that get picked up by the microphone of nearby laptops, desktops, tablets or smartphones.
These second-stage devices, who silently listen in the background, will interpret these ultrasounds, which contain hidden instructions, telling them to ping back to the advertiser's server with details about that device.
Advertisers use uXDT in order to link different devices to the same person and create better advertising profiles so to deliver better-targeted ads in the future.
Ultrasound Cross Device Tracking techniques could be used to launch deanonymization attacks against some users: https://gitlab.torproject.org/legacy/trac/-/issues/20214
Your home's online gadgets could be hacked by ultrasound: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2110762-your-homes-online-gadgets-could-be-hacked-by-ultrasound/
Beware of ads that use inaudible sound to link your phone, TV, tablet, and PC: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/11/beware-of-ads-that-use-inaudible-sound-to-link-your-phone-tv-tablet-and-pc/
Meet "badBIOS," the mysterious Mac and PC malware that jumps airgaps: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/10/meet-badbios-the-mysterious-mac-and-pc-malware-that-jumps-airgaps/
Scientist-developed malware prototype covertly jumps air gaps using inaudible sound: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/12/scientist-developed-malware-covertly-jumps-air-gaps-using-inaudible-sound/
Using Ultrasonic Beacons to Track Users: https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2017/05/using_ultrasoni.html
Ads Surreptitiously Using Sound to Communicate Across Devices: https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2015/11/ads_surreptitio.html
235 apps attempt to secretly track users with ultrasonic audio: https://boingboing.net/2017/05/04/235-apps-attempt-to-secretly-t.html
Leaking Data By Ultrasound: https://hackaday.com/2020/12/06/leaking-data-by-ultrasound/
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