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Boffins convert typing sounds into text with 95% accuracy (www.theregister.com)

submitted 11 months ago by kpw@kbin.social to c/technology@lemmy.world

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Researchers in the UK claim to have translated the sound of laptop keystrokes into their corresponding letters with 95 percent accuracy in some cases.

That 95 percent figure was achieved with nothing but a nearby iPhone. Remote methods are just as dangerous: over Zoom, the accuracy of recorded keystrokes only dropped to 93 percent, while Skype calls were still 91.7 percent accurate.

In other words, this is a side channel attack with considerable accuracy, minimal technical requirements, and a ubiquitous data exfiltration point: Microphones, which are everywhere from our laptops, to our wrists, to the very rooms we work in.

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[–] stoy@lemmy.zip 23 points 11 months ago (3 children)

I wonder if you need to train it on a specific keyboard before it will work it.

[–] Lemminary@lemmy.world 12 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Most likely

[–] stoy@lemmy.zip 11 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That would limit the practicallity quite a lot, as deskmats and typing style would change the sound of even a common keyboard.

I also notice that I slightly change my typing style between typing normally and entering my password.

[–] Dark_Arc@social.packetloss.gg 2 points 11 months ago

That would limit the practicallity quite a lot, as deskmats and typing style would change the sound of even a common keyboard.

Eh... I don't know if it would be enough of a change. Also consider mass produced popular laptops (e.g. targeting the MacBook keyboard).

I also notice that I slightly change my typing style between typing normally and entering my password.

I don't really think that's normal... But hey, maybe it gives you some protection 🙂

[–] UraniumBlazer@lemm.ee 2 points 11 months ago

I doubt so. Wouldn't Zipf's law be used for this?

[–] SacralPlexus@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

In the article it says that they had to record data from the keyboard ahead of time to plug into the model. This isn’t some magic thing that can listen to any keyboard it has to be trained for one keyboard at a time. It sounds like it’s just a proof that this technique could be used if a malicious actor could get physical access briefly to record the training data - then from that point on all you need is a microphone listening.