Hackers could now steal passwords over Zoom by listening to keystrokes using AI
An AI tool could decipher text — including passwords — from keystroke sounds recorded over Zoom and be right over nine times out of ten, a group of researchers said in a paper published on August 3.
An AI model developed by the researchers showed a 93% accuracy rate in deciphering keystrokes from a recording of a Macbook's keystrokes made over video conferencing software Zoom, according to a group of researchers affiliated with Durham University, the University of Surrey, and the Royal Holloway University of London.
Moreover, the accuracy rate rose to 95% when keystrokes were recorded using an iPhone 13 mini. "Acoustic side-channel attacks" are a growing threat to keyboards, the researchers said. Side-channel attacks are used by hackers to exploit information — like how much power your computer is using or the keystroke sounds it makes — rather than directly attacking the system's code.
