Computer scientists have developed a malware prototype capable of transmitting audio signals. The idea is that this would enable it to send transmit information out of locations without an internet connection. While this particular piece of software is only a proof-of-concept model, it does reveal another potential security weakness.
The researchers from Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing, and Ergonomics recently published their findings in the Journal of Communications, news that came after a security researcher reported that his computer was transmitting small amounts of network data after the network card was removed.
Using a pair of Lenovo notebooks, the German researchers manage to use inaudible sounds to allow the two devices to communicate. Currently, the range of the sounds is only about 20 metres; but it is theorised that this can be increased by infecting many systems with the malware and having them repeat the signal.
[Source: ars technica]
