All your keyboards are belong to us!

Keyboard Attack Vectors and Data Interception

Attacking keyboards allows adversaries to capture plaintext credentials and confidential input before cryptographic encryption takes place. Intercepting keystrokes at the physical interface bypasses complex network and application security controls.

Hardware Keylogging and Inline Interceptors

Physical keyloggers installed between the keyboard cable and computer port log raw keystroke scancodes to non-volatile memory. Modern inline hardware implants leverage wireless transmitters or cellular modems for remote keystroke exfiltration.

Electromagnetic Emanations and Van Eck Phreaking

Unshielded keyboard cables and internal microcontroller traces emit subtle electromagnetic radiation during typing. By tuning software-defined radios to these unintended emanations, attackers can reconstruct keystrokes from meters away without physical contact.

Acoustic Eavesdropping and Side-Channel Analysis

Differences in key acoustics allow machine learning models trained on audio recordings to identify individual keystrokes based on typing sound signatures. Defending against keyboard side-channel attacks requires physical inspection, shielded hardware, and acoustic noise generation.