Google Chrome "Bugs" Allow Sites to Listen to Your Private Conversations

[onehandle]

While we’ve all grown accustomed to chatting with Siri, talking to our cars, and soon maybe even asking our glasses for directions, talking to our computers still feels weird. But now, Google is putting their full weight behind changing this. There’s no clearer evidence to this, than visiting Google.com, and seeing a speech recognition button right there inside Google’s most sacred real estate - the search box.

Yet all this effort may now be compromised by a new exploit which lets malicious sites turn Google Chrome into a listening device, one that can record anything said in your office or your home, as long as Chrome is still running.

http://talater.com/chrome-is-listening

[MannyGoldstein]

1. "Bugs"?

Google: We're not the NSA*

[onehandle]

3. Nice catch. Fixed it. nt

[PeaceNikki]

2. To be clear, the user has to allow access at least once in order to allow exploit.

I have never allowed a website access to my camera or mic.

[snooper2]

4. Well that sounds really nefarious...except...

There are other articles on this LOL-

With more information, of course

The important part-

A Google spokeswoman e-mailed Ars the following statement: "The security of our users is a top priority, and this feature was designed with security and privacy in mind. We've re-investigated and still believe there is no immediate threat, since a user must first enable speech recognition for each site that requests it. The feature is in compliance with the current W3C standard, and we continue to work on improvements."

The takeaway from all of this is that users should carefully consider a website's request for microphone access before clicking OK. Users would also do well to place little reliance in the red blinking light and any icons Chrome uses to indicate that sounds are being captured. When in doubt, check which sites already have permission by navigating to Chrome settings > show advanced settings > and then clicking the "content settings" box in the privacy section. From there, click on the "manage exceptions" box under the Media section. Sites with permission to access your computer microphone will appear, along with a way to delete or modify the setting.

http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/01/speech-recognition-hack-turns-google-chrome-into-advanced-bugging-device/

[Jesus Malverde]

5. Incredible video... thanks!..nt

[dickthegrouch]

6. Do No Evil: Google Corporate Motto

Of course they have just shown that one man's "evil" is another man's bread.
Did Bill Clinton write the Google definition of "Evil"?

[dickthegrouch]

7. What the hell has happened to Ethics in the last 20 years?

The ethics of a company saying "This is perfectly OK by W3C standards", WHEN IN FACT IT ISN'T OK BY ANY ETHICAL STANDARD, is incomprehensible to me. Google had an ethical duty to fix this as quickly as possible. They have FAILED.

Google now has an ethical duty to prevent any and all proceeds from voice recognition from being used by anyone other than themselves without an opt-in by informed users, as well as fixing the problem this week.

[El_Johns]

9. +1. Lizards.

[dickthegrouch]

8. Note to Google

I regularly speak my credit card number into my phone precisely because my accent confounds speech recognition. If you, Google, relay my Credit card number to an unannounced, unauthorized party because of your "bug", I'll sue.

[Skidmore]

10. Exactly where is voice recognition activated.

I don't see a place to do this on the Chrome settings.