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WiFi beamforming feedback can image and identify people even without a device
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Researchers demonstrated that unencrypted beamforming feedback from WiFi devices can be used to create radio images of people and identify them with near-perfect accuracy, even when the person carries no WiFi device.
This turns existing WiFi infrastructure into a potential surveillance tool that does not require the target to carry any device. Engineers building wireless networks must consider that beamforming feedback signals are unencrypted and can be intercepted, making privacy protections like disabling a device ineffective. The technique also highlights the need for encryption or other safeguards on these routine signals.
Written by elseif from the cluster below · every claim links back to a sourceThe three things worth knowing
The system uses unencrypted beamforming feedback information (BFI) that WiFi devices routinely send to routers.
In tests with 197 participants, the system identified individuals with nearly 100% accuracy, even from different angles and regardless of walking style.
A person does not need to carry a WiFi-enabled device; the system works as long as other devices in the surroundings are active.
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