Motion sensors in high-performance mice can be used as a microphone to spy on users, thanks to AI — Mic-E-Mouse technique harnesses mouse sensors, converts acoustic vibrations into speech
https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/cyber-security/high-performance-mice-can-be-used-as-a-microphone-to-spy-on-users-thanks-to-ai-mic-e-mouse-technique-uses-mouse-sensors-to-convert-acoustic-vibrations-into-speech
This mouse has ears.
Full paper: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2509.13581
224 points · 41 comments · view on lemmy.world
41 Comments
cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de · 36 pts · 317d
That requires a mouse with an 8kHz polling rate. With a 1kHz polling rate, this trick will be limited to sounds under 500Hz.
SkabySkalywag@lemmy.world · 31 pts · 317d
Cool, cool. So what hertz range would you say a woman moaning or a particularly loud fart fall around ? Just out of curiosity...
ramble81@lemmy.zip · 16 pts · 317d
Human speech is between about 130-300Hz, so even with a lower poling rate it can pick it up. And assuming she sound like a mosquito, it’ll pick things up.
synapse1278@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 317d
I doubt it, 300Hz is very low. The lowest fidelity frequently band used in telephony is comprised between 300Hz and 3400Hz, specifically excluding everything below 300Hz (voice frequently)
ramble81@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 316d
https://www.ico-optics.org/what-hz-is-human-voice/
https://www.voicescience.org/2025/05/lexicon/average-speaking-frequencies/
http://www.1st-acoustics.com/knowledge/frequency-range-for-human-voice.html
synapse1278@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 316d
In these sources they are talking about the fundamental frequency of human Speech F
0. Which is one important indicator but I don't think this band is sufficient for comprehension. Record yourself, apply a low-pass filter with cut frequently at 300Hz and check for yourself if this is enough to understand. It might be enough to make out some words, but I doubt it's enough to hear clearly.anomnom@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 316d
Maybe machine learning can infer the missing wave information (like Fourier transforming partial waveforms??
RickyRigatoni@retrolemmy.com · 5 pts · 317d
I only speak in infrasound...
TowardsTheFuture@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 317d
Huh you know from a music perspective I know we can get a lot higher than 500hz but most speech is apparently around 1-300hz.
MorkofOrk@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 316d
Well now I kind of want to mic up a kick drum with my gaming mouse for fun lol
MorkofOrk@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 316d
I wonder if it would sound better taped on, in the drum itself, or on the floor in front. Seems like there would be minimal bleed too haha, might be a cool lo-fi thing
toothpick@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 317d
And probably only works when configured to use the the highest DPI settings.
Bongles@lemmy.zip · 22 pts · 316d
Can we stop finding ways to do this?
AWistfulNihilist@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 315d
https://www.spymuseum.org/exhibition-experiences/about-the-collection/collection-highlights/the-great-seal/
Governments have been finding crazy ways to listen to eachother for so long. Now every ear is directed at consumers to milk them like cows.
pulsewidth@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 316d
Sadly no. The only way is to come up with countermeasures.
Eagle0110@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 315d
If the people on the good side stop trying to find exploits like this, and by finding them develop awareness and knowledge about them, so that countermeasures can be devised, then bad actors are much more likely to find new exploits first, and when they exploit it you won't even see it coming anymore.
quick_snail@feddit.nl · 1 pts · 316d
Use a trackpad?
AceFuzzLord@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 316d
What kind of masochist would ever want to use a trackpad? Nothing against people who actually do, but I absolutely HATE trackpads because I have had a long history of not having a good time with them.
Juvyn00b@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 315d
I hate the fact that Dell got rid of the track point on their higher end models. My hands get dry on occasion and then my precision's touch pad stops responding. Besides the fact that I hate using it when it works well.
quick_snail@feddit.nl · 1 pts · 315d
I do, because I travel. And someone who travels with more than just a laptop and charger is the real masochist
AceFuzzLord@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 315d
Then maybe I'm a masochist because my laptop bag basically always has a little old DS bag thing where I store my USB hub and USBs, with my wireless trackball mouse always right next to it. I consider those essentials to my workflow.
quick_snail@feddit.nl · 1 pts · 315d
Ouch. My back hurts reading this.
AceFuzzLord@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 315d
From the fact that DS is retro and my bag thing came with a DS even before DSi was out or from my essentials?
The essentials are lightweight and barely add anything to the overall weight of my bag.
Can't help if the DS carrying case thing makes you feel old, if it's that. It's just an old thing I have from my original DS that I ended up breaking as a kid.
BunScientist@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 315d
my time with the steam controller has taught me that not all trackpads are made the same, but I guess if you are in some job/business where mouse eavesdropping could be a real issue, then I guess it would be the better option
AceFuzzLord@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 315d
Forgot steam devices have trackpad. Yeah, can't speak for the steam controller track pad, but the steam deck one is like the only exception to the rule.
JonnyRobbie@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 315d
Not for gaming, but macbook trackpads are really good. Like so fucking good that they actually make a desktop version of trackpads people seriously chose over mice even on tables. I personally still prefer mouse on a table at my workstation, but I have 0 problems with trackpad on the go.
AceFuzzLord@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 315d
I wouldn't have a clue about any of that since the last time I used a macbook was over a decade ago, so I'll take your word for the quality.
Bongles@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 315d
Evil_Shrubbery@thelemmy.club · 10 pts · 316d
We'all need foss mice.
Dhar@lemmy.ca · 8 pts · 316d
We got 'em already: https://ploopy.co/mouse/
Evil_Shrubbery@thelemmy.club · 3 pts · 316d
A poopy mouse, nice!
Interesting.
It turns out it's not the only open sauce mouser out there (eg g-wolves).
Bonson@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 315d
Deal breaker would be that it’s wired. Cool mouse, I’d love to get it when it’s wireless.
krooklochurm@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 315d
A dealbreaker for me is that it's wireless.
You're posting about needing a wireless mouse on a post about hacking a mouse through its laser. I can't even:
"There a super sophisticated hardware hack that can be done on mice. Which got me thinking about I'd like to increase the physical attack surface of my mouse by any means possible"
You should preface the comment with "Security is not super important to me here" maybe, given the context?
Evil_Shrubbery@thelemmy.club · 2 pts · 315d
I just prefer wired (one of them ultra-light cables) bcs I don't feel any difference & no battery.
Bonson@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 315d
Nah security is important to me and I like wireless mice. That’s a false dichotomy you proposed. But thanks for speaking for me, your smugness added a lot to the conversation.
fubarx@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 316d
Oy, no tittering in the back.
Tronn4@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 316d
Weiner Filter sounds made up
Randomgal@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 316d
For a moment I imagined some Chad mouse with super sensing
They mean computer mouse...
qwestjest78@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 316d
Geeze, companies today are so desperate
W3dd1e@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 315d
Just use a mouse pad.
AceFuzzLord@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 316d
Now I need to know whether or not they did this testing with trackball mice. Hopefully they're safer from these types of attacks.
quick_snail@feddit.nl · 1 pts · 316d
Here's a link to the source
https://sites.google.com/view/mic-e-mouse