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Saturday, October 6, 2012

postheadericon Creepy Smartphone Malware Re-creates Your Home For Stalkers

It has become a cliché to say that anyone with a mobile phone has a tracking device that provides detailed information about your position. But things are moving, researchers (and probably others too) to explore new ways to subvert smartphones increasingly common for other revealing data about their users. It is a rather clever use malware to turn your smartphone into a system for taking clandestine photographs - something we've seen before, of course, in other contexts - but goes further to sew together form a fairly accurate 3D model of their world:

This paper presents a novel visual PlaceRaider called malware, which allows remote attackers to compromise in recognition of what we call distance and virtual, vol. Through the use of the camera on the phone completely opportunistic and other sensors built models PlaceRaider rich, three-dimensional indoor environments.

Using 3D reconstructions overcomes a potential problem with spyware ordinary there is often too much data whose meaning is not clear. This is why it is difficult to find something interesting. The solution here is to combine all the data in a unified reconstruction, virtual, you can then browse snoopers looking for significant items as if we could eradicate through your physical space.

academic work "PlaceRaider: Vol virtual physical space with smartphones" (pdf) is a fascinating read, but do not seem to understand the difference between "theft" and "monitoring". It includes the following description of how this rather eccentric 3D-intelligence capabilities can be used. It is a bit exaggerated, but gives an idea of ??what is theoretically possible:


Alice does not know that your Android phone is running a service that PlaceRaider photos surreptitiously records as well as the orientation and acceleration sensor data. After analyzing aboard, your phone searches for images collected and extracted those that appear to contain valuable information about their environment. At the appropriate time, the phone sends a packet discreetly images to remote control server and PlaceRaider.



Upon receiving images of Alice, the command and control server executes an algorithm PlaceRaider computer vision to generate a 3D model of high quality. Mallory This model allows the remote attacker to easily plunge into the environment Alice. The fidelity of the model allows you to view the calendar Alice Mallory, the elements of the surface of the table and the room layout. Knowing that the work surface can provide valuable information, Mallory zoom images that have generated the office and quickly finds Alice performs a check and routing numbers with your identity and address. This gives an immediate value. She also sees wall calendar, noting the dates that the family will be out of town, and thinks to ask a partner who lives close to "visit" the house while the family is away and "borrow" iMac Alice Mallory sees office.
Well, maybe not. But what is more interesting is how the smartphone malware is able to gather enough information to allow detailed reconstruction of complex spaces. The document includes impressive 3D reconstructions seemingly random images that have been stitched together. These and the research project has produced a salutary reminder is also useful as they are smart phones also new risks that must be considered and ultimately directed.
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