Ghostbuster: Detecting the Presence of Hidden Eavesdroppers

[ChrisSmolinski]

ABSTRACT
This paper explores the possibility of detecting the hidden presence of wireless eavesdroppers. Such eavesdroppers em- ploy passive receivers that only listen and never transmit any signals making them very hard to detect. In this paper, we show that even passive receivers leak RF signals on the wireless medium. This RF leakage, however, is extremely weak and buried under noise and other transmitted signals that can be 3-5 orders of magnitude larger. Hence, it is missed by today’s radios. We design and build Ghostbuster, the first device that can reliably extract this leakage, even when it is buried under ongoing transmissions, in order to detect the hidden presence of eavesdroppers. Ghostbuster does not require any modifications to current transmitters and re- ceivers and can accurately detect the eavesdropper in the presence of ongoing transmissions. Empirical results show that Ghostbuster can detect eavesdroppers with more than 95% accuracy up to 5 meters away.

https://synrg.csl.illinois.edu/papers/ghostbuster-mobicom18.pdf

[Josh]

I know a guy who was paid to observe the output of a specan as the members of the board walked underneath him to the boardroom, the members having no clue that in the ceiling above them was a spook.

[Pigmeat]

No giant marshmallow men?

[MDK2]

[Josh]

When someone asks you if you're a god, you say yes!
Don't cross the streams!

[ChrisSmolinski]

No giant marshmallow men?

[fieldstrength1947]

I actually hope this technology is not brought to usability over long distances. I don't suppose that's really possible but IF it were...

It would almost certainly be used by repressive governments to restrict radio listening, in addition to the routine signal jamming.

Basic principle: If they CAN do it, assume that they WILL do it. It's Murphy's Law for governments (note: and any other organizations, but governments are the most potentially dangerous because they have the power of the law)

[Pigmeat]

No giant marshmallow men?

Chris, you may be the first man to ever get booted from his own board if you-know-who sees that.

[ka1iic]

I actually hope this technology is not brought to usability over long distances. I don't suppose that's really possible but IF it were...

It would almost certainly be used by repressive governments to restrict radio listening, in addition to the routine signal jamming.

Basic principle: If they CAN do it, assume that they WILL do it. It's Murphy's Law for governments (note: and any other organizations, but governments are the most potentially dangerous because they have the power of the law)

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Jamming is easy and many Countries has used it...
One form of jamming that comes to mind that is seldom mentioned is jamming the standard IF frequencies of Super Hetrodyne radios.   Worked well for the former USSR etal...