{"id":52319,"date":"2023-06-13T14:09:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-13T14:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/747a977e-2e31-4e79-ab83-a8db3c2292a7"},"modified":"2023-06-13T14:09:00","modified_gmt":"2023-06-13T14:09:00","slug":"are-smartphone-thermal-cameras-sensitive-enough-to-uncover-pin-codes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.threatshub.org\/blog\/are-smartphone-thermal-cameras-sensitive-enough-to-uncover-pin-codes\/","title":{"rendered":"Are smartphone thermal cameras sensitive enough to uncover PIN codes?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\"thermal<\/picture><\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

Getty Images\/Tatyana Aksenova \/ 500px<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I’m a huge proponent of the thermal cameras built into smartphones. They’re a super handy tool for the DIYers, engineers, and technicians. They give you a superpower — the ability to see heat. <\/p>\n

Why is this useful? <\/p>\n

I’ve found a lot of reasons \u2013 from finding components that are overheating (which can indicate faulty components), identifying overheating wires and connectors (which can indicate damaged wires or connectors), diagnosing issues with HVAC, find draughts at home, and much, much more. <\/p>\n

Also:<\/strong> This $10 gadget is my favorite repair tool of all time<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

I started out thinking that these cameras were gimmicks, but they’ve become an important tool in the toolbox. <\/p>\n

But there’s a question I get asked a lot about these cameras \u2013 how sensitive are they? <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

So, I came up with a test. A rather simple one, but at the same time one that will push the capability of the thermal cameras. <\/p>\n

Could they be used to help uncover a PIN code? <\/p>\n

Also:<\/strong> How to strip wires like a pro (and my must-have tools)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The test is simple. I’m going to take the awesome Apricorn Aegis NVX encrypted SSD<\/span><\/a><\/span>, put it in front of a thermal camera, and see if entering a PIN code leaves a “thermal residue.” There’s a research paper by the University of Glasgow<\/a> on just this kind of attack, but I wanted to see if a budget version of it would work. <\/p>\n

So I set up the two different thermal cameras in front of the secure hard drive to see just how sensitive these cameras are. <\/p>\n

The first thermal camera is a FLIR Lepton camera built into the new Blackview BV8900<\/a>.  <\/p>\n