If You Use Wired Headphones, You’re at Risk: They’re the Ideal Prey for Hackers

Using wired headphones as a relay antenna may sound crazy, but hackers can use this practice to listen to your conversations remotely. Researchers have developed a new electromagnetic radiation spying system called Periscope, which demonstrates that devices connected to wired headsets are vulnerable.

A recent study explores how hackers can intercept audio transmitted through laptops and smartphones (Android and iPhone) using wired headphones.

Researchers found that phones and computers generate electromagnetic radiation when processing sound signals. Interestingly, intercepting this radiation can recover the original audio.

Wired headphones can act as antennas, amplifying these signals, which can be intercepted from distances of up to 50 feet. Although these signals may not be perfect, hackers can use computer algorithms to remove noise and distortion. The study achieved complete audio reconstruction with only a 7.44% error rate, making the audio intelligible to both humans and AI models.

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You might be wondering in what scenarios hackers can exploit this vulnerability. They can do it in any situation where your device is relaying audio. For instance, if you’re in an online meeting and share any confidential information, a laptop within a range of 50 feet could intercept the audio signal and later reconstruct it.

The research team reported the issue to Apple, Lenovo, Huawei, Vivo, Oppo, and Dell. Notably, Huawei has been one of the first companies to start developing a solution.

Additionally, it’s important to note that researchers discovered this vulnerability in a lab setting, and hackers haven’t yet tested it in real-world scenarios.

Image | Jean-Philippe Delberghe

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