Security...
A smartphone hacker has provided conclusive proof that the futuristic computing headset known as Google Glass can be surreptitiously modified to give anyone with physical access almost complete control over the device. He called on Google engineers to improve the security of Glass—which currently is available only to developers—before it becomes available to the general public.
Google engineers have stressed that the head-mounted computing device—which can capture nearby conversations and images and transmit them over the Internet—was meant to be hacked. But until now, it has been easy for end users to know when their all-seeing, all-hearing headsets were modified. All that has changed now that security consultant Jay "saurik" Freeman has fashioned an alternative way to gain almost unfettered "root" control. Using an exploit discovered seven months ago to root smartphones running Google's Android operating system, it takes him less than five minutes to hack the new device. From there, he can install a customized operating system that silently monitors everything the device sees or hears.
Because it requires a device to be put into a special "debug mode," the exploit isn't considered much of a security threat for smartphone users. After all, debug mode can be invoked only after a user has unlocked the handset using a PIN code or other security mechanism. Glass, by contrast, has no form of screenlock, making it possible for someone with even brief access to a headset to make persistent changes.
"With the security exploit, I can pick up your Glass, turn on debug mode, and get root access on it in a way that doesn't leave a trace," Freeman told Ars in a telephone interview. "Then I can modify any of the software on your device. I can make it so that for the rest of your Glass' lifetime I'm in there, too, able to get access to your camera, listen in on your microphone. I can turn off debug mode and make it look like there's nothing changed from your perspective. And when you get it back, you're screwed."
He went on to describe how a hacked Glass headset could have a broad consequences for users. Since glass sees passwords and PIN codes being entered, the security of computers and smartphones is affected. Even physical security is impacted, since Glass can record building access codes and take pictures of keys that are detailed enough to allow copies to be made. "Nothing is safe once your Glass has been hacked," he warned.
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