Researchers Just Showed How You Can Use Computer Cooling Fan To Steal Data

It is wise for you to disconnect the internet if you wish to guard your computer against hackers. Though, research has revealed that this disconnection is not sufficient to prevent any breach of data. Israeli scientists recently showed a way to extract data from physically isolated computer systems. This comes courtesy of a malware attack which is able to comb data through the sound of the cooling fan installed in the PC.

Surprised much? Before you start to wonder if you are being pranked, rest assured that you are not. Fansmitter is a new malware program which can turn the sound of the PC into a weapon against the computer. Suggested by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Cyber Security Research Centre, this program is capable of exfiltrating data using air-gapped computers in the absence of speakers and hardware. This is done using the regulation of the speed on the internal fans which results in an acoustic waveform being generated by the PC.

You could think of it like a parasite extracting data (upto 900 bits per hour) from your computer, taking it over the internal fan only to use it as a mouthpiece in order to produce subtle audio signals that can be subsequently detected as well as interpreted by a device in the same vicinity. You may think that’s too slow but it’s enough to steal encryption keys and Pass-codes. The team that has brought us this rather interesting program claims that data can be transmitted upon modulation using these audio signals all the way to a remote microphone, for example a smartphone).

Audio signals have been previously utilized in an attempt to extract data. Researchers discovered that internal and external speakers on computers are able to broadcast data signals using audio in an attempt to take over other devices. This led many to believe that audio-gapped computers might be the way to go, but the latest malware program has proved them wrong. So then, next time you see an unknown mobile device next to your computer system, consider relocating or moving the cellular device someplace else.