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[return to "Malware can turn off webcam LED and record video, demonstrated on ThinkPad X230"]
1. sbarre+T1[view] [source] 2024-11-27 20:27:36
>>xairy+(OP)
I thought the whole point of these camera LEDs was to have them wired to/through the power to the camera, so they are always on when the camera is getting power, no matter what.

Having the LED control exposed through the firmware completely defeats this.

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2. connic+b8[view] [source] 2024-11-27 21:07:15
>>sbarre+T1
An indicator light hardwired is nice but I apparently can't trust hardware manufacturers to design it properly. My work laptop (HP Dragonfly) has a physical blocker that closes over the camera when I haven't explicitly pressed the button that enables the camera. The blocker is black and white stripes so it's very obvious when it's covering the sensor. This should absolutely be the security standard we all strive for with camera privacy.
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3. neural+Ud[view] [source] 2024-11-27 21:48:02
>>connic+b8
Probably the camera “power” is always on as any other microcontroller on the same board, but is only active when called through the control bus or an interrupt, having an LED tied to the power rail would keep it on all the time whenever the lapop is on.
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4. grishk+ex[view] [source] 2024-11-28 00:54:01
>>neural+Ud
Then tie it to some signal or power rail that only gets enabled when the camera is in use, and that must be enabled for the camera to work, e.g. when there's power to the sensor itself.
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