If you have never heard the phrase "Those who eavesdrop hear nothing good about themselves" you are in good company as Google Chrome has not either. A developer by the name of Tal Ater has discovered that Chrome can enable your microphone when you view certain malicious websites without your knowledge. According to Google's online documentation, when Chrome enables your microphone you should see both a blinking red light appear in the tab you are viewing and a persistent icon in the system tray. Unfortunately when The Register saw a test, the site created a pop-under window which displayed the red light and was not visible until the other browsing session was closed or moved, nor was there a system tray icon. Even more worrying, the initial specification called for recording to be disabled when the tab with access to the mic was not active but was never implemented.
"A design flaw in the Chrome browser allows malicious websites to use your computer's microphone to eavesdrop on you, one developer has claimed, although Google denies this is the case."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- As the Apple Mac turns 30, we need another computer revolution @ The Inquirer
- A Thermodynamics Theory of the Origins of Life @ Slashdot
- The Android Experiment: The Android doctor rides again @ The Register
- 2014: The year of the cloudy biz bankruptcy… or maybe it isn't? @ The Register
- AverMedia ExtremeCap U3 Video Game Capture Device Review @HiTech Legion
Of course, you still have to
Of course, you still have to give those sites permission to do it in the first place (as I understand it). I’m more concerned with Google, themselves, doing it.
Of course, any browser could facilitate this if so desired or (by external influence) compelled. Be as paranoid as you can, today, and you’re probably still not going to be paranoid *enough*.
Good thing I don’t have a mic
Good thing I don’t have a mic on my PC.
Good thing I don’t have
Good thing I don’t have chrome on my PC.
Chrome is only good as a
Chrome is only good as a method to load a full Linux distro, and then users can remove all the traces of the Google EyE, with no warning light, spy.
FULL LinuxBooks Rule! Full LinuxBooks and LinuxTablets NOW!
FULL LINUX DISTROS!
Let the light of our great ZVEZDA shine upon this land far and wide!