Many modern gadgets can be hacked to produce deafening and disorienting sounds, research has revealed.
Security researcher Matt Wixey found a range of devices had little protection to stop themselves being turned into "offensive" low-grade, cyber-weapons.
Mr Wixey tested laptops, mobile phones, headphones, a PA system and several types of speakers.
The weaknesses could cause physical harm, harass individuals or disrupt larger organisations, he said.
Mr Wixey, who is a head of research at PWC's cyber-security practice, said he conducted the experiments as part of PhD work into the ways that malware can directly cause physical harm.
He sought to find out if the volume and speaker controls of the devices could be manipulated to make them produce harmful high and low frequency sounds.
Custom-made viruses, known vulnerabilities and other exploits were used to subvert the devices and make them emit the dangerous sounds for long periods of time.
"Some attacks leveraged known vulnerabilities in a particular device, which could be done locally or remotely in some cases," he told the BBC. "Other attacks would either require proximity to the device, or physical access to it."
(Score: 4, Insightful) by ikanreed on Monday August 12 2019, @07:14PM (2 children)
We're of course, talking about dangerous as in "work in this noise level for 8 hours a day without earplugs and you're violating OSHA guidelines" and in reference to devices that can be disabled with a light tap from a hammer.
(Score: 2) by captain normal on Tuesday August 13 2019, @05:35AM
At first glance I thought they were talking about motorcycles. You can always unplug a speaker.
When life isn't going right, go left.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday August 13 2019, @03:40PM
(Score: 3, Insightful) by EvilSS on Monday August 12 2019, @07:27PM
OK, cool, but why would I sit there and listen to it for a long period of time? I mean, I can see some issues if you could take over the PA system in a big venue, subway station, train, office building, etc. That would be disruptive and annoying for sure. But in the other cases, like with a PC, IoT device, television, laptop, phone, etc., couldn't I just turn it off, unplug it, stuff it under a pillow, or, I don't know, go somewhere else and not listen to it?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 12 2019, @07:33PM (2 children)
Unplug the Da*n thing
(Score: 3, Informative) by epitaxial on Monday August 12 2019, @08:20PM (1 child)
You can say damn now on the internet.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 12 2019, @10:57PM
Asterisk can substitute for multiple characters, and it's not politically correct to say "Da[mned transvestites are demanding equal rights and should be deported before noo]n".
(Score: 2) by Rupert Pupnick on Monday August 12 2019, @08:36PM (2 children)
In one of the large and open cubicle farms I worked in years ago, there was a very loud and unfamiliar voice that cried out:
“Hey everybody! I’m looking at porn!”
The victim from whose cube it emanated had clicked on a link that arrived in Microsoft Outlook email, and it somehow commandeered his desktop PC speaker with an audio file played at full volume.
It was a prank— not an officially sanctioned corporate exercise, but what a great way to inspire phishing awareness among employees!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 13 2019, @02:01AM (1 child)
Surprise audio is just one reason that I leave cheap headphones plugged in to my ThinkPad, nearly all the time. Pretty sure (but not positive) that the plug switches off the speakers mechanically.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Rupert Pupnick on Tuesday August 13 2019, @11:38AM
3.5 mm jack? I remember those days!
(Score: 3, Funny) by fustakrakich on Monday August 12 2019, @10:11PM
Put the Cone of Silence over DC
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 2) by sjames on Tuesday August 13 2019, @01:46AM
Don't make the speakers as loud as possible, make the sounds nearly imperceptible: "They're all laughing at you...", "They must die...". If the device can manage it, throw in some infrasound.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday August 13 2019, @03:53PM
Would anti-Trump messages be a "dangerous" sound ?
People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.