Can Mac webcams be hacked? How can I check if an unauthorised program is accessing my webcam? Sorry if it sounds delusional. I know Mac systems are not vulnerable to viruses. But what about click-baits or when the user unknowingly provides access to an unknown program from the internet? Can Mac webcams record without the green light on? I hope all of this covers one security issue.
rajeshsamuel wrote: Can Mac webcams be hacked? ...
Not if you keep physical possession of your Mac and do not click untrusted links from unknown sources.
For complete Mac malware information, see Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac.
rajeshsamuel wrote:...How can I check if an unauthorised program is accessing my webcam?...
The green light will be on even after you have restarted your Mac and quit all of your apps that can use the camera.
If you obsess about security, you can launch Mac's Activity Monitor utility and monitor the VDCAssistant process to see if it being used:
rajeshsamuel wrote: ... what about click-baits or ... an unknown program from the internet? ...
Do not click untrusted links from unknown sources.
You can check for previously installed unknown programs by downloading and running Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac.
rajeshsamuel wrote:...Can Mac webcams record without the green light on?...
Not unless a technician has modified your Mac hardware.
Message was edited by: EZ Jim
Mac OSX 10.11.4
There was a vulnerability in older Macs (2008 and prior) that could allow the webcam to be turned on without the green LED next to the camera turning on. If you are using such an old Mac, it is theoretically possible, although there is no known malware that has ever been documented to exploit this vulnerability, so it's unlikely.
If you're using a newer Mac, there are no known vulnerabilities as far as I know to allow the camera to be turned on without also turning on the LED.
Macs certainly are susceptible to malware, however. There simply isn't very much of it out there. If you did manage to get infected with some new malware, it would be possible for it to spy on you in many ways. However, you'd need to have a very good and specific reason for believing that you've been infected. Many people get the idea that they are infected based on very spurious or misinterpreted evidence. At this point in time, given the current Mac malware landscape, you're probably not infected with any actual malware unless there is a nation-state or other extremely powerful organization that is interested in you personally.
Unauthorised webcam access and screen recording
