Cybersecurity

Cyber Security Researchers Exfiltrated Data from Isolated Computers

The researchers, led by Mordechai Guri, developed Fansmitter, a malware that can acoustically exfiltrate data from “air-gapped” computers, even when audio hardware and speakers are not present. Their method utilizes the noise emitted from the CPU and chassis fans which are present in virtually every computer today. They show that a software can regulate the internal fans’ speed in order to control the acoustic waveform emitted from a computer. They demonstrated the effective transmission of encryption keys and passwords from a distance of zero to eight meters, with bit rate of up to 900 bits/hour. This method can also be used to leak data from different types of IT equipment, embedded systems, and IoT devices that have no audio hardware, but contain fans of various types and sizes.