Updated on 2022-10-17: ‘Thermal attack’ reveals passwords in seconds
Researchers have developed a system that’s capable of guessing a user’s password by analyzing traces of heat left behind by fingerprints on keyboards and screens. The research uses thermal imaging and an AI model to make informed guesses about what the password or passcode could be. Though not necessarily a novel concept, the researchers found they could identify 86% of passwords when thermal images are taken within 20 seconds. Read more: AI-DRIVEN ‘THERMAL ATTACK’ SYSTEM REVEALS PASSWORDS IN SECONDS
Updated on 2022-10-11
A team of academics from the University of Glasgow has developed a technique called ThermoSecure that uses artificial intelligence to analyze thermal images of keyboards, smartphone screens, or ATM PIN pads, to guess with high accuracy what the user’s password might be based on the heat signature of every key. The research is very similar to what University of California, Irvine researchers did with the Thermanator Attack back in 2018. Read more:
- ThermoSecure: Investigating the effectiveness of AI-driven thermal attacks on commonly used computer keyboards
- Thermanator: Thermal Residue-Based Post Factum Attacks On Keyboard Password Entry
Overview
Computer security researchers developed an AI-driven system, dubbed ThermoSecure, that can examine the heat signatures of fingerprints on keyboards to guess smartphone and computer passwords. Read more: This ‘thermal attack’ can read your password from the heat your fingertips leave behind
