Facebook Denies Microphone Snooping Allegations, Researchers Reconstruct Blurred out QR Code

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Oct 31, 2017, 1:24:57 PM10/31/17

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INFORMATION SECURITY NEWS

For The Week of 10/24-10/31 2017

The Information Security News Service is a project of LARS (Laboratory for Advanced Research in Systems) in the CS Department at the University of Minnesota Duluth. We send out top stories in information security every Tuesday (except during some academic breaks). If you have stories you’d like to see featured, please email them to infosec...@d.umn.edu.

CURRENT NEWS

Facebook Denies Microphone Snooping Allegations

Last week, Professor of Mass Communications Kelli Burns claimed Facebook might be using the microphone to eavesdrop on people’s conversations and serve related ads. While she didn’t have any proof, this allegation matches with what people on the internet have suspected for a long time. Facebook has stated that they do not use the microphone other than when it should be being used (when recording video or audio). Regardless, if you don’t trust Facebook, you can always take away the app’s microphone permissions (or remove it from your phone). https://www.snopes.com/2016/06/04/professor-claims-facebook-is-eavesdropping-on-their-users/

https://www.theverge.com/2016/6/3/11854860/facebook-smartphone-listening-eavesdrop-microphone-denial

Reconstructing a Blurred QR Code to Claim Bitcoin

An ad featuring a QR code which was a Bitcoin Cash wallet with ~$1000 in it was displayed on French TV. The first viewer to scan the code and transfer the bitcoin would claim that money. However, due to a French regulation preventing the giving of prizes in an ad, the QR code was blurred out. However, this didn’t stop researchers from trying. For a few frames, a small part of the code was not obfuscated, which was key in decoding the entire code. They then plotted what parts of the key they could decipher from the blurred parts, narrowing it down to 2.1 million possible combinations. They then checked these combinations against valid Bitcoin Cash wallets, narrowing it down to two wallets, after which it was simple trial and error.