ISeeYou


iSeeYou is a security bug affecting iSight cameras in some Apple laptops.

Discovery

The researchers' decision to study webcam indicator lights resulted from the widely reported WebcamGate case, in which a remote access tool installed on school-issued laptops took photographs of unconsenting students.

Reaction

The security flaw was reported internationally.
Journalists observed that Apple had sold their laptops as having a "hardware interlock" that was supposed to prevent such an attack, and called on Apple to implement hardware switches or other strong privacy protections.

Mitigation

The Apple laptops affected are capable of running a variety of operating systems, including macOS, Microsoft Windows, and Linux. Mitigations against iSeeYou may vary by operating system. The researchers released a macOS kernel extension, iSightDefender, to reduce the attack surface under macOS.