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The Keyboard That Could Phone Home

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the blueprints-coming-to-a-torrent-near-you dept.

An anonymous reader writes "University of Pennsylvania researchers have developed a keylogger they call the JitterBug that can modulate passwords or other information into normal traffic by adding imperceptible delays to keypresses as people use keyboard and network-intensive apps like telnet and remote desktop. The idea is that the delays in keypresses cause delays in packets, and data can be encoded in those delays. There's no software or extra network activity that the victim can see, but anyone who can see the traffic (even if it's encrypted) could grab the data. Here's the scary part: the researchers say that it could be manufactured into a keyboard, making these keyloggers widespread and virtually undetectable."

8 of 287 comments (clear)

  1. Hmm... by bcat24 · · Score: 5, Funny
    This threat, however far-fetched, seems particularly relevant in light of the U.S. government's decision in May to use computers built by Lenovo only for processing unclassified data. The Chinese government owns 28% of Lenovo, information that has sparked fears of espionage. As it turns out, numerous keyboards are also manufactured in China.
    With Communist computer, keyboard spy on YOU!
  2. Manufactured into a keyboard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The "Made in Nigeria" had me worried, but with a quality name like Sony on the keyboard, I decided not to worry.

  3. it's your own damn fault by circletimessquare · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...i .blame ....the ..user ....for ..not ....being ....more .......vigilant .if .....this ..ever .....happened ..to .....me (..and ..it .....wouldn't) ...i ..wouldn't .....be ..blaming ....some ."hacker" ....for ..my ....own ..lax .......security

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  4. Re:Could you get around this... by NemosomeN · · Score: 5, Funny

    The more likely workaround would be devices you put between your keyboard and the computer. Easier? No. Cheaper? No. Marketable? Maybe.

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    I hate grammar Nazi's.
  5. Trusted Input Device by NotQuiteReal · · Score: 4, Funny
    I don't trust anything that I didn't key into the front panel switches myself.

    This Trusted Input Device method, I call TID BITS, for short.

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    This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
  6. Re:Look! Someone gave me a new keyboard! by inKubus · · Score: 4, Funny

    That's why I keep a liberal supply of dandruff and chicken grease on my keyboard at all times. Even if the boffins manage to make an identical keyboard (with the windows keys ripped out, no less), they could never recreate the back-alley ambiance.

    --
    Cool! Amazing Toys.
  7. Finally... by chicago_scott · · Score: 4, Funny

    This sounds like a good way for citizens to track politicians' activity. As citizens we need better ways to serruptitiously monitor our public servants.

    Smaller cameras would be better too.

  8. Re:Scary! by Bombcar · · Score: 4, Funny

    So if you had 40 USB keyboards plugged into one machine, and used a different one to type each character of the password, you wouldn't have a problem, correct?

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    Fellowship 9/11