New ‘SmartAttack’ Steals Air-Gapped Data Using Smartwatches

Designed to protect sensitive information, air-gapped systems are disconnected from the network, thus preventing data exfiltration through methods that require internet connectivity.

However, various covert communication channels can be used to steal data from these systems, and smartwatches, which are frequently present in high-security environments and can be abused as covert communication receivers, create a data exfiltration avenue, Ben-Gurion researcher Mordechai Guri says.

Called SmartAttack, the technique proposed by Guri utilizes a smartwatch’s built-in microphone to capture covert ultrasonic signals within range of 18–22 kHz, successfully enabling data theft based on certain environmental conditions.

To read the complete article see: Security Week

See full research here: Full Research