A recently discovered method combines wireless electronic surveillance with artificial intelligence (AI) to spy on computer screens.
Researchers in Uruguay have developed a method that makes it possible to monitor the displays of computer screens using AI systems.
They intercept and decode the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the HDMI cable between the computer and monitor.
According to the researchers, this method could already be used in practice.
Screen monitoring by AI
A team of computer security researchers from the University of the Republic in Montevideo, Uruguay, has shown how screen content can be spied on while the user is entering encrypted messages, bank details or other confidential information.
This is done by intercepting the HDMI cable.
Santiago Fernández Emilio Martínez, Gabriel Varela and Pablo Musé Federico Larroca have published their research results on Cornell Tech’s ArXiv platform.
The study shows that it is possible to train an AI system to interpret minute variations in the electromagnetic radiation of the HDMI signal.
Although HDMI is a wired and digitally encrypted standard, the cables emit sufficient radiation to detect it without direct access.
The attacks can be carried out in various ways, for example by using antennas positioned outside a building to pick up HDMI signals.
Alternatively, a discrete signal capture device could be placed inside the target building.
Test the attack method
To verify the accuracy of the attack, the researchers used text recognition software to analyze the content recovered by the AI system.
The extracted text was then compared with the original screen content.
The tests showed that the AI was able to reconstruct text from a computer screen with an accuracy of 70%.
Although the researchers’ approach is not yet comparable with conventional recording methods, it shows a 60% improvement on previous projects.
The method is sufficient to understand the main content of the displayed text and could even capture passwords and sensitive data.
This is possible completely wirelessly, without physical access to the target computer and even from outside a building.
Historical context and new threats
The concept of using wireless electromagnetic signals for surveillance is not new. According to Der Spiegel, the technique of “compromising radiation”, known as “Tempest”, was previously used to reconstruct data from the radiation of computer monitors.
In the past, computers and monitors were connected via VGA ports with analog signal transmission, which made it easier for hackers to read them. Today, data is transmitted digitally via HDMI cable. Digital transmission includes encryption, which is why HDMI cables were considered secure. However, the researchers’ AI-supported “Deep-TEMPEST” attack method shows that digital transmissions can also be vulnerable.
Possible goals and protective measures
The researchers suspect that these or similar systems are already being used by government and industrial spies. Due to the complexity of the technology and the need to be close to the target system, normal users are unlikely to be affected. However, government agencies and large companies with sensitive data should consider protective measures against electromagnetic surveillance.
Source: www.tarnkappe.info, image created by AI.