All iPads How to disable webcam without voiding warranty?

[GGJstudios]

You really need to read what has been published. Here is a quote from the NSA document

I did read it. It did not say that the NSA had successfully achieved a remote install. It said they would pursue that possibility. And yes, some of those functions are achievable by today's apps. For example, you can remotely retrieve and deliver files to an iOS device using Dropbox and others, apps like Facetime and Skype can remotely capture audio and video, etc.

 

[Rigby]

I did read it. It did not say that the NSA had successfully achieved a remote install. It said they would pursue that possibility.

Yes. And that was 5 years ago. Do you think they just twiddled their thumbs in the mean time?

And yes, some of those functions are achievable by today's apps. For example, you can remotely retrieve and deliver files to an iOS device using Dropbox and others, apps like Facetime and Skype can remotely capture audio and video, etc.

Explain to me how you can "covertly exfiltrate" data from the device using these apps without the knowledge of the user, which is obviously the point of these NSA implants.

I don't understand why some people are still denying the obvious even when faced with very specific evidence. Whistling past the graveyard?

 

[C DM]

Yes. And that was 5 years ago. Do you think they just twiddled their thumbs in the mean time?
Explain to me how you can "covertly exfiltrate" data from the device using these apps without the knowledge of the user, which is obviously the point of these NSA implants.

I don't understand why some people are still denying the obvious even when faced with very specific evidence. Whistling past the graveyard?

On the same vein of logic, did Apple twiddle their thumbs in the mean time?

 

[pocketpenguin]

On the same vein of logic, did Apple twiddle their thumbs in the mean time?

No, but given the recent jail break for 7.x and all the safari crashes, some of which seem to cause system reboots, there are plenty of injection vectors available. If you've been reading up on the NSA's techniques including stuxnet etc., you'd realize that Apple doesn't stand a chance in this arms race, no vendor does.

This discussion is straying far off topic, perhaps it should be moved to the politics section? Mods?

 

[GGJstudios]

Yes. And that was 5 years ago. Do you think they just twiddled their thumbs in the mean time?
Explain to me how you can "covertly exfiltrate" data from the device using these apps without the knowledge of the user, which is obviously the point of these NSA implants.

Those NSA implants were never remotely installed on any iOS device without the permission or knowledge of the user. You can claim that the intent was there, but the fact is, no remote access of iPad webcams was ever achieved without the user's knowledge or permission. While nothing is impossible, as I already stated, nothing that has been posted in this thread proves that any iPad webcam has been or can currently be compromised without the owner's permission. As for what might be possible in the future, that's purely a matter of speculation. You haven't proven anything.

 

[pocketpenguin]

Those NSA implants were never remotely installed on any iOS device without the permission or knowledge of the user. You can claim that the intent was there, but the fact is, no remote access of iPad webcams was ever achieved without the user's knowledge or permission.

Your statement of "fact" is not borne out by the evidence of compromise presented by many above. The NSA has achieved 100% success at compromising iPhones at one time, we don't know the specific operational details of how that was accomplished or on what scale because their actions were covert. But to flat out deny that it never happened outside an NSA test lab, at this point, is laughable.

While nothing is impossible, as I already stated, nothing that has been posted in this thread proves that any iPad webcam has been or can currently be compromised without the owner's permission. As for what might be possible in the future, that's purely a matter of speculation. You haven't proven anything.

I think we've proven enough that a reasonable person would conclude that it is possible for the NSA, or other similarly motivated group, to compromise an iPhone, and perhaps other iOS devices that they specifically target. That targeting might require a physical interception via a "black bag job" or while the device is being shipped to an individual, or possibly some remote exploit when the iPhone is hooked to a Mac/PC via iTunes, or as some have speculated even "over the air".

But, regardless of injection vector, the "fact" is that an iPhone/iPad can be and has been compromised and it is done EVERY DAY by those who jailbreak even the latest iPhone/iPad and iOS versions. To say that it cannot be accomplished without the knowledge or permission of the owner is simply denying reality. I could do so on my wife's iPhone and she'd never have a clue.

Yet another link, http://www.spiegel.de/international...phones-including-the-blackberry-a-921161.html take a look at the slide show too. The NSA isn't mocking the individuals in the slide show because they "can't" hack those phones.

 

[itjw]

I think the moral of the story here is:

If you are still using an iPhone 3G, on 3.13 or older, and stand around NSA agents a lot, GET OUT THE TINFOIL because you're about to get HAZACKED!!!

Watch out for those black helicopters! Seriously. A buddy of mine backed into a rotor once and it left a sizable bump. Ouch!

 

[GGJstudios]

To say that it cannot be accomplished without the knowledge or permission of the owner is simply denying reality. I could do so on my wife's iPhone and she'd never have a clue.

Is common knowledge to anyone with a modicum of technical understanding that any device can be compromised by a knowledgeable person if they gain physical access to it. That is not what is being discussed here. Absolutely zero evidence has been provided in this thread that any non-jailbroken iOS device has ever been remotely hacked without the user's knowledge or consent, or that any iOS camera has ever been remotely accessed without the user's permission, or that any unwanted software was ever installed remotely without the user's permission. Again I'll say that while nothing is impossible, there is zero evidence to indicate that these types of unwanted intrusions have ever actually been achieved in the real world. You can speculate and draw conclusions from any claim by anyone, but what you're left with is nothing but speculation and conjecture.

 

[ricktat]

Is common knowledge to anyone with a modicum of technical understanding that any device can be compromised by a knowledgeable person if they gain physical access to it. That is not what is being discussed here. Absolutely zero evidence has been provided in this thread that any non-jailbroken iOS device has ever been remotely hacked without the user's knowledge or consent, or that any iOS camera has ever been remotely accessed without the user's permission, or that any unwanted software was ever installed remotely without the user's permission. Again I'll say that while nothing is impossible, there is zero evidence to indicate that these types of unwanted intrusions have ever actually been achieved in the real world. You can speculate and draw conclusions from any claim by anyone, but what you're left with is nothing but speculation and conjecture.

Well my mom always knows where I am. She has some NSA find my iphone dealy. She is da L33T H@X0R though

 

[gnasher729]

Your statement of "fact" is not borne out by the evidence of compromise presented by many above. The NSA has achieved 100% success at compromising iPhones at one time, we don't know the specific operational details of how that was accomplished or on what scale because their actions were covert. But to flat out deny that it never happened outside an NSA test lab, at this point, is laughable.

That was all at a time when the iPhone didn't have any encryption for its flash drive. You could write any data on the Flash drive by opening an iPhone, unsoldering the flash drive, moving it into a device built for that purpose, writing the files, moving the flash back to the iPhone, soldering it back in and closing the iPhone. I'm quite sure the NSA could do that.

Since the iPhone 3GS, this is _not_ possible.

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Is common knowledge to anyone with a modicum of technical understanding that any device can be compromised by a knowledgeable person if they gain physical access to it.

Or possibly by a not very knowledgable person installing the latest jailbreak. That's a thing that is totally beyond me, people here attributing all kinds of mystical powers to the NSA, when paying $5 million to some jailbreakers and installing all kinds of stuff in the latest jailbreak could achieve their goal very easily.

 

[gnasher729]

I feel sorry for you if you feel they don't have the power to do this. iOS devices aren't out of the NSA's reach.

We are talking about the real NSA here. Not about a Dan Brown book, not about CSI or "Persons of Interest", but the real NSA. They can only achieve anything if there are bugs in software to exploit. Encryption, code signing etc. are not crackable. An attacker has to get around it, and that can only happen when mistakes are made.

 

[Rigby]

That was all at a time when the iPhone didn't have any encryption for its flash drive.

iOS data protection has no bearing on compromising a running phone. As soon as the user has entered the passcode once after turning on the device, the memory is open to any software running on the device. This is why it does not prevent jailbreaking.

Look, we already have one publicly known example of a jailbreak that worked simply by visiting a special web page via Safari. We also know that the NSA has long had the capability to redirect web browsers to its own servers at will using special nodes that is has set up throughout the Internet's infrastructure ("QuantumInsert" in combination with "FoxAcid"). It is very easy to see how they can compromise a phone remotely without ever touching it, just as they do with other computers. All it takes is finding some exploit in Safari or an app that accesses the web. There may also be many other attack vectors. One known example is remote provisioning of SIM cards.