Researchers Decode Way To Spy On Mobile Conversations Without Tapping Cell Phones

Researchers from Pennsylvania State University have decoded a way to use mobile phone vibrations to remotely eavesdrop on a conversation with over 80% accuracy.

What Happened: The researchers said that they could interpret with 83% accuracy what a person on the other side of a phone is saying by detecting the vibrations of the earpiece of a cell phone. 

Mahanth Gowda, an assistant professor of computer science and engineering, and Suryoday Basak, a doctoral candidate pursuing a degree in computer science, discovered this significant security risk using an "off-the-shelf radar device."

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"We use the radar to sense this vibration and reconstruct what was said by the person on the other side of the line," Basak said. He added that their novel approach works even when the audio isn't audible to humans and microphones nearby.

The radar operates in the millimeter-wave (mmWave) spectrum — which inspired its name, 'mmSpy.' 

The researchers simulated conversations taking place on a smartphone's earpiece. They tested their method on Alphabet Inc.'s GOOG GOOGL Google Pixel 4a and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd SSNLF Samsung Galaxy S20, said Basak, adding that the brand was unimportant.

Why It's Important: The researchers say their findings prove that “automotive radars can be used to eavesdrop audio.”

“As technology becomes more reliable and robust over time, the misuse of such sensing technologies by adversaries becomes probable,” said Basak, adding, “We need to do something about this.”

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