NSA spy details how to tap into webcam on Mac without user noticing
A former NSA employee has demonstrated how malware on a Mac can tap into the computer's built-in webcam and microphone to spy on unsuspecting users.
While a green LED light usually switches on by the side of the webcam to show that it is being used and is difficult to bypass, Patrick Wardle demonstrated that malware can covertly record these, all in an essentially undetectable manner, during a call when the light is already on and the user is unaware.
In a paper, titled Getting Duped: Piggybacking on Webcam Streams for Surreptitious Recordings, Wardle said that he had examined g various ‘webcam-aware' OS X malware samples, the research and showed that a new ‘attack' that would allow such malware to stealthily monitor the system for legitimate user-initiated video sessions, then surreptitious piggyback into this in order to covertly record the session.
