EvilZone

Hacking and Security => Hacking and Security => : m0l0ko March 26, 2013, 10:20:17 PM

: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: m0l0ko March 26, 2013, 10:20:17 PM
I keep my webcam covered with blu-tac because I'm a paranoid bastard. I've never seen the light on my webcam go on by itself though. When a hacker hijacks a webcam, will the light always go on, or are there ways to bypass that?
: Re: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: puddi March 26, 2013, 10:45:49 PM
only in movies
: Re: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: noob March 26, 2013, 11:27:39 PM
You can disable it in Device Manager and enable it when you need for
: Re: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: rasenove March 27, 2013, 05:39:35 AM
If someone wants to do that, he/she would have to replace the webcam driver with his/her won coded  driver .
: Re: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: silenthunder March 27, 2013, 05:58:57 AM
If someone wants to do that, he/she would have to replace the webcam driver with his/her won coded  driver .

..that is based on the original camera's driver code
: Re: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: EMOKDOOM March 27, 2013, 08:00:45 AM
Yeah, the states did it to Iran ;]
: Re: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: Kulverstukas March 27, 2013, 08:26:25 AM
I use a laptop and my webcam does not have a light indicator. I keep the webcam covered as well :D

Yeah, the states did it to Iran ;]
What do you mean?
: Re: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: silenthunder March 27, 2013, 02:02:32 PM
Yeah, the states did it to Iran ;]


Iran has compute- uhh, yeah, Iran has computers n stuff and we totally did that to them. XD
: Re: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: hanorotu March 27, 2013, 06:49:33 PM
With some skiddy tools like a certain keylogger, it does take pictures every so often and send them, whether or not the light comes on is open to debate. On my eyetoy usb webcam, the light came on when the pictures were being taken. But it required special configuration, nothing worked "out of the box".
: Re: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: EMOKDOOM March 28, 2013, 06:39:51 AM
Just realized i don't even have the drivers installed for my webcam, which host my mic. Guess i've been talking to myself in CS:GO.
: Re: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: lucid March 28, 2013, 10:51:17 PM
Lol, I'd be willing to bet that at least half the people here tape their webcam.

  ::) < this guy does
: Re: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: Stackprotector March 28, 2013, 11:26:59 PM
I doubt a hacker would love to look trough my cam.
: Re: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: Snayler March 29, 2013, 01:22:41 AM
Lol, I'd be willing to bet that at least half the people here tape their webcam.

  ::) < this guy does
Yeah, count me in  :)
(http://s14.postimg.org/o5qzt5gq9/26032013033.jpg)

@OP: Yeah, I guess it's possible. Some cams you can do that by tweaking the registry, others may need some driver tweaking or firmware patch.
: Re: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: silenthunder March 29, 2013, 01:35:59 AM
I don't because of the lack of cosmetic appeal :/ My mom's all-in-one desktop had a built in webcam that kept turning on with the light so we taped it, I just secluded myself within the network.
: Re: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: techb March 29, 2013, 01:52:39 AM
In linux I think there is a way to disable le light in /sys/class somewhere. As for windows, usually when the webcam is powered on the light will show. For them to turn it off, it will have to be a driver of some kind. I doubt the built-in webcam is USB, but this link (http://www.jespersaur.com/drupal/book/export/html/21) might shed a bit-o-light. If it is built in though, I am thinking it might be something like I2C protocol or something.
: Re: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: Axon March 29, 2013, 07:03:50 AM
Since you have your cam taped, why do you have to worry about this. You can also disable your cam driver or delete it completely. Therefore, your pc will not identify it as part of the system, as for me I use an Asus laptop with a camera slider, when the light goes on you can't see anything until the slider is opened.
: Re: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: Pak_Track March 29, 2013, 12:31:37 PM
i have a webcam that has a slide up cover like this:
(http://homeshopping.pk/product_images/j/245/9__70384_zoom.jpg)
It's to protect the lense from dust and to protect yourself from hackers  8)
: Re: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: kenjoe41 March 29, 2013, 06:59:03 PM
hahaha!! lucky for you man. I ductape my webcam all time till am calling my sweet mum.
i better think of this version of a webcam for my tower.
: Re: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: Azryel April 01, 2013, 11:02:46 PM
I had a cam that the light only came on in low light conditions.
: Re: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: tygahh May 11, 2013, 02:59:18 PM
its possible for a good hacker to remotely turn on your webcam without your consent.
But the person must have got some software installed on your pc
: Re: Can hackers view your webcam without the light turning on?
: Snayler May 11, 2013, 03:44:58 PM
its possible for a good hacker to remotely turn on your webcam without your consent.
But the person must have got some software installed on your pc
That was really helpful, I had no idea! Can they also peek on your desktop? And run remote commands? I thought that would be impossible nowadays... </srcsm>