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back to article Is it possible to control Amazon Alexa, Google Now using inaudible commands? Absolutely

Eavesdropping appliances like Amazon Echo and software assistants like Google Now can be attacked using mangled words that get interpreted as commands, but humans hear as nonsense. As explained in a 2015 paper [PDF], the phrase "Cocaine Noodles," for example, can be heard by Google Now as its command invocation, "OK, Google …

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  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "...an ultrasound signal above 20 kHz..." and non-linear microphones

    Have these people been testing this in Cuba? Damaging the hearing of diplomatic staff?

    Non-linearity often implies extremely high amplitudes, and in this case ultrasonic..

    Strange...

    1 0 Reply
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "...an ultrasound signal above 20 kHz..."

      the (Cuban) high-powered ultrasonics is a probably following the publicly well known means for transducer coupling (through the faraday) high levels of audio energy into a remote bug, conducted through the TEMPEST/EMSEC shield itself, for powering the bug and then listening to the reflected audio.

      does sound a lot in concept like these social media Microphones!

      more acronyms at places like this: https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/privacy/introduction-tempest-981

      1 0 Reply
  3. Joe Harrison

    Private Eye

    Funny cartoon in Private Eye print edition which I can't find online. Cat half asleep on floor looking at budgie in cage, Amazon Echo on coffee table. Budgie speech caption "Alexa cancel the cat food and double the birdseed order"

    2 0 Reply
    1. Ken Moorhouse Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: cancel the cat food and double the birdseed order

      Haven't they done that in reality by buying Whole Foods?

      http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/whole-story/millets-not-just-birds

      0 0 Reply
  4. JimmyPage Silver badge
    Boffin

    Defence ?

    Presumably there is an opening for a prophylactic devices which sprays out random inaudible noise to prevent this trick working ?

    0 1 Reply

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