Smartphones turned webcams

 Smartphones expected to become webcams under Windows 

Just like Apple 

With Microsoft Phone Link, Microsoft provides a way to operate your own smartphone from your PC. Messages can be read and answered from the PC, which allows users to use the keyboard to type messages. In the future, Microsoft is likely to expand the functionality of the connection between PC and smartphone considerably.

Android Authority says that an Android smartphone could also be used as a webcam on a Windows PC. This is shown by a code analysis of the corresponding APK, which provides clear clues of a webcam function. However, there has been no official announcement and this function has not been rolled out to the users.

According to the code analysis, applying special effects to the video should be possible and the corresponding filters should be available, such as retouching the face. The code also contains error messages, including the message that the smartphone has become too hot. The advantage of such a solution is that most smartphones now offer high-quality cameras, even in the entry-level range and purchasing an additional webcam would become useless. In addition, many notebooks are equipped with poor webcams, so using a smartphone would mean a significant increase in quality. Apple already offers such a solution and it is available to all owners of a device with macOS 13 and an iPhone with at least iOS 16.

Apple fixes new iOS zero-days

 Apple resolves two new iOS zero-days in emergency updates

Apple released emergency security updates to fix two zero-day vulnerabilities exploited in attacks and impacting iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices, reaching 20 zero-days patched since the start of the year. "Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited against versions of iOS before iOS 16.7.1," the company said. The two bugs were found in the WebKit browser engine (CVE-2023-42916 and CVE-2023-42917), allowing attackers to gain access to sensitive information via an out-of-bounds read weakness and gain arbitrary code execution via a memory corruption bug on vulnerable devices via maliciously crafted webpages.

The company says it addressed the security flaws for devices running iOS 17.1.2, iPadOS 17.1.2, macOS Sonoma 14.1.2 and Safari 17.1.2 with improved input validation and locking. The list of impacted Apple devices is quite extensive, and following are included in the list:-

iPhone XS and later

iPad Pro 12.9-inch 2nd generation and later, iPad Pro 10.5-inch, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 6th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later

Macs running macOS Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma

Security researcher Clément Lecigne of Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) found and reported both zero-days.

While Apple has not released information regarding ongoing exploitation in the wild, Google TAG researchers have often found and disclosed zero-days used in state-sponsored spyware attacks against high-risk individuals, such as journalists, politicians and dissidents etc.

20 zero-days exploited in 2023

CVE-2023-42916 and CVE-2023-42917 are the 19th and 20th zero-day vulnerabilities exploited in attacks that Apple fixed this year. Google TAG disclosed another zero-day bug (CVE-2023-42824) in the XNU kernel, enabling attackers to escalate privileges on vulnerable iPhones and iPads.

Apple recently patched three more zero-day bugs (CVE-2023-41991, CVE-2023-41992, and CVE-2023-41993) reported by Citizen Lab and Google TAG researchers and exploited by threat actors to deploy Predator spyware. Citizen Lab disclosed two other zero-days (CVE-2023-41061 and CVE-2023-41064), fixed by Apple in September and abused as part of a zero-click exploit chain (dubbed BLASTPASS) to install NSO Group's Pegasus spyware.

Since the start of the year, Apple has also patched following:-

two zero-days (CVE-2023-37450 and CVE-2023-38606) in July

three zero-days (CVE-2023-32434, CVE-2023-32435, and CVE-2023-32439) in June

three more zero-days (CVE-2023-32409, CVE-2023-28204, and CVE-2023-32373) in May

two zero-days (CVE-2023-28206 and CVE-2023-28205) in April

and another WebKit zero-day (CVE-2023-23529) in February

WhatsApp with 'secret code'

 WhatsApp new chat lock with 'secret code'

WhatsApp has recently introduced the chat lock tool to assist users in keeping their "most sensitive discussions" secure from prying eyes by password-protecting them and placing them in a different folder. Alerts from locked chats cannot appear at inconvenient times, such as when you have just transferred the phone to a buddy to look at images. Locked chats will now be completely hidden from view until users input their secret code in the search bar, which will show all the discussions you don't want others to see.

Previously, any over-the-shoulder people can see that a user had a closed conversations folder, which was a guaranteed way to spark attention - or suspicion. Announcing Chat Lock, WhatsApp owner Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said: "New locked chats in WhatsApp make your conversations more private. They’re hidden in a password protected folder and notifications won’t show sender or message content."

"We're so thrilled our community has been embracing Chat Lock, and hope that secret code makes it even more valuable to them," the firm said while announcing the latest upgrade. "Secret code have started rolling out and in the coming months will be available globally. We’re excited to keep bringing more functions to Chat Lock to help people protect their privacy, let us know what you think."

Users will have the option to retain their closed chats on the main conversations menu rather than hiding them. WhatsApp is actively developing many privacy features, including "listen once" voice notes, which are now under beta testing. In other long-awaited news, WhatsApp also offered the option to enter into two unique accounts on the same phone and switch between them. It was introduced as a method to unite the "work you and fun you" in one device, but it was also marketed online as a "cheater's paradise" allowing secret accounts to be kept concealed without the need for a burner phone.

How to hide locked chats 

Like with everything on the app, switching appears to be rather straightforward. It will be a matter of turning on "hide closed chats" and entering a secret code to gain access to them.

Muhammad (Peace be upon him) Names

 

ALLAH Names