How People Hack Your Webcam And How to Stop It
By Corporal Punishment |
Since their inception, hackers have loved messing with people's webcams, whether for spying, blackmailing, or just causing chaos. Now, what used to be an add-on device is a place and—frankly —a necessity for remote work, making Webcams a much more accessible target. Gaining unauthorized access to a webcam, often called "camfecting," is unfortunately easier than many realize, but it's not as simple as TV shows might make it seem. In reality, hackers use commonly known methods, but they usually require some level of user interaction or a system vulnerability. Here are the most common ways:
1. Remote Access Trojans: Here's one of the classics. Hackers love using Remote Access Trojans,or RAT's, when possible because they give the hacker sometime full access to a computer, including your webcam. This is wicked dangerous for you, BTW, but it has its charms from the hacking side.
How it works: They send you an email, maybe claiming it's from FedEx with a "tracking update" (Spoiler: it's not). You click, download what looks like a PDF, and bam! You've just installed a RAT.
Example: Back in the day, we used to prank our friends with a program called Netbus. You'd attach a small executable file (EXE) to an email and say, "Hey, check out this funny picture!" As soon as they clicked, the program was installed. They'd reply, saying nothing happened, but behind the scenes, the program sent you their IP address. Once you had that, boom! You had 100% control of their computer. You could then do fun things like blast music at 3 AM, constantly open their CD drawer, and install a program that randomly moved their mouse. (PS. Bob, if you are reading this - Yes, that was me.
)Blackshades is probably the most notorious RAT for hacking webcams, and it has been involved in a number of sextortion cases. It is a vicious little program with devious functionality, allowing the hacker to film people without their knowledge, among other evil things, because of malware they accidentally downloaded.
How to stop it: Don't open sketchy emails or click unknown attachments—ever! Always be cautious when downloading files or clicking links, especially from untrusted sources. Use reliable antivirus or antimalware software and keep it updated to detect and block RATs. Disable unnecessary remote access features like Remote Desktop on your PC.
2. Phishing Attacks: Ah, Phishing, the old "Hey, I'm your bank! Send me your password!" trick. Hackers often use Phishing to get you to download malware that can hijack your webcam. They disguise themselves as someone you trust (e.g., Amazon, Netflix, or Paypal), and once you're fooled, they control your webcam. When a hacker gains access to your webcam through a link, it's usually because the link leads to malware, not just the website itself.
How it works: You get an email with a fake page for something you want. The link either tricks you into downloading malicious software or exploits vulnerabilities in your browser to install malware. Now they have access to your accounts and webcam.
Real-life example: Avanan researchers observed hackers spoofing community and school board meeting invitations by sending fake Zoom or web conferencing invites using attachments and fake sites to gain access to webcams.
How to stop it: See above. Be suspicious of emails asking for personal info, especially if they seem urgent or out of the blue. Look for misspellings and odd links, and always double-check who sent the email.
Read any of our guides on What is Phishing, types of Phishing or our E-BookOn Phishing.
3. Outdated Software Vulnerabilities: You know you have done it. Those constant system update reminders—you've ignored them, right? Be honest. Yeah, please don't ignore them. Code can be flawed, and exploits are found all the time. Updates are often meant to patch these holes. If your operating system, webcam drivers, or apps are outdated, hackers can exploit those vulnerabilities to take control of your webcam. It's like leaving your door open because you didn't feel like fixing the lock.
How it works: Hackers scan the web for computers with outdated software. Once they find one, they can exploit security holes and get into your system. Guess what's on their list? Your webcam.
Example: Zoom had a vulnerability on Macs in 2019 that allowed hackers to turn on webcams without permission. No prompt, no nothing—just instant access. They patched it pretty quickly, but if you didnt update you were vulnerable until you did.
How to stop it: Keep your OS and webcam software up to date. These updates usually include security fixes that keep hackers out.
I know it's a pain in the *** - just do it.
4. Malicious Browser Extensions: Not all browser extensions are harmless. Some come with hidden spyware; when you give them permission to access your webcam, things can get creepy. However, many extensions promise to be PDF converters and are really designed to grab your and video video feeds.
How it works: You install an extension thinking it'll help you download videos or block ads, but instead, it's a cleverly disguised tool that records your webcam footage.
Thanks to stricter security policies, Chrome's migration from Manifest V2 to Manifest V3 will address some security concerns. Manifest V3 includes several improvements, such as limiting the ability of extensions to intercept network requests and requiring more transparent permissions for users, which will reduce the chances of malicious extensions gaining unauthorized access. With Manifest V3, creating extensions that access the webcam is still possible, but developers must explicitly request camera and microphone permissions in their extension's manifest file, and users will need to grant these permissions before the extension can access the webcam.
Example: Several Chrome extensions were caught secretly recording user activity, including webcam access, among other data. Millions of users were affected, and most had no idea it was happening.
How to stop it: Only install browser extensions from trusted sources. If you don't recognize the developer or it has fishy reviews, skip it. Always review the permissions requested before installing an extension.
5. Insecure Public WiFi: You're chilling at your local coffee shop, sipping on an overpriced double-pump caramel cappuccino, and decide to hop on the free WiFi. Little do you know, hackers love these public networks. They can perform what's called a Man-in-the-Middle attack, intercepting your data, including your webcam feed, while you're connected.
How it works: Hackers on the same public WiFi network use legitimate tools like Wireshark or Cain and Abel to create a relatively simple process called ARP spoofing. The hacker sends falsified messages to a local area network. The goal is to associate the attacker's MAC (Media Access Control) address with the IP address of another device (typically the router). Once successful, the attacker can intercept, modify, or even block data intended for the legitimate IP address. In some cases, the attacker may also modify the data in real-time, such as injecting malicious code into legitimate websites - allowing them to either see the webcam in real time or take it over later.
The more modern way is using a WiFi Pineapple - if you have physical access. This is a specialized device developed by Hak5 primarily for penetration testing and network security audits. It is designed to mimic legitimate WiFi networks, enabling ethical hackers and security professionals to test vulnerabilities in wireless networks. However, due to its functionality, attackers can also misuse it to perform Man-in-the-Middle attacks and other malicious activities on WiFi networks.
Example: In 2019, a hacker used a tool called WiFi Pineapple to capture data on public WiFi, including webcam streams, at a busy airport. Anyone connected to the network was vulnerable.
How to stop it: Only use public WiFi if you have to. If you have to use a VPN to encrypt your data. It creates a secure tunnel for your data, keeping nosy hackers out. We have several Surfshark as a paid service.
6. Weak Passwords and Brute-Force Attacks: USB cameras generally do not have passwords. However, IP camera systems do. They also come with default passwords like "admin" or "password," and if you don't change it, hackers can easily brute-force their way into the system when a user thinks default is good enough.
How it works: Hackers know the default passwords and network ports these cameras live on. Scanning for ip's and ports and trying known passwords will work more than you suspect. For example, Foscam cameras are Username: admin Password: (leave blank) or admin, Axis Username: root Password: pass, Hikvision Username: admin Password: 12345 or admin123 --- etc.
Example: In 2021, Hackers gained access to 150,000 IP cameras in Hospitals, prisons, police stations and more.
How to stop it: Change default passwords as soon as you get any device, especially webcams. Use strong passwords with numbers, letters, and symbols to make brute-forcing much harder. Can't think of a password, use our password generator -- or Get yourself a password manager. I use Roboform, but you should have one.
Other Steps to Secure Your WebCam:
Or just unplug the thing when it's not in use.
Wrapping-Up
So, there you have it—hackers have a lot of ways to take control of your webcam it is nowhere near as easy as it looks on TV. You can easily keep them out with some awareness and a few simple precautions. After all, it's better to geek out than freak out when it comes to your privacy! Keep your software updated, use strong passwords, use a good antivirus package, and don't download suspicious files. Oh, and maybe slap a piece of tape over that webcam when you're not using it.
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