IR LEDs used to defeat Security Cameras

101

I have seen lasers used to "dazzle" security cameras before but they normally use visible light and need pinpoint accuracy to be effective. I had never thought about using an array of IR LEDs (infrared light emitting diodes) to create a permanent result that would not be noticeable to anyone else around.

Original Version, Translated version

"IR.ASC is an infrared light – to the device before Divining infrared surveillance cameras.  There is no special technical knowledge of each reconstructed.  The device emits infrared light from the infrared images from surveillance cameras disturbs. The face of the person is monitored by a light ball over. Since the whole interaction in a non-visible spectrum (at frequencies between 780nm and 1mm), the man noticed nothing of it and he sees neither the infrared emission of radiation surveillance camera nor by the IR.ASC "

Via: Boing Boing

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101 Comments


  1. I can’t help but think of that scene in Frailty where they look for phenton on the security cameras and it’s all jumbled because of “divine interference”. awesome idea.


  2. When I messed around with some power IR leds from dealextreme(0.5W each http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4669 ) I achieved similar effects (not that I wanted to… I was using them for computer vision object tracking, they were TOO BRIGHT for that without some sort cover …) anyway the nice thing about these IR emitters is that they cover the whole hemisphere you would not need to build a cluster of them facing several directions…


  3. Only problem is, If they’re IR LEDs, how do you know when the battery is dead?


  4. Now I just need a 12V version for my car license plate. BestHongKong has cheap 12V drivers.

    A hat version with integrated battery and solar panel would work for street walking.


  5. BigD145 it will only work in the dark how you will going to use solar panels in the dark


  6. mike: Digital cameras are sensitive to IR light day or night.



  8. Ingenious! I’d imagine you’d have to use some powerful IR LEDs as the majority available in shops arent very bright at all.
    Just dont go walking nearby any crime-in-progress places (not that youd know of course) because you’d end up being the prime suspect on camera. Other things can identify you too, such as your clothes, any distinguishing marks/wounds, also build and height can be determined – maybe a full body IR LED suit then!!
    @Shadyman – Just one more thing to add to the design then – a dim but visible LED for the power indicator. Kind of obvious once realising that slight oversight. Nobody else need see the visible light so keep it undercover.


  9. I have to admit, that’s pretty smart! Underhanded, but smart.

    Make sure you drive the LEDs continuously and not pulsed or the camera will still catch you, maybe not on every frame, but they will still catch you.

    I’m sure there would be harsh penalties for using one on your license plate, or in the commission of a crime.

    It’s easy to do, but it’s also easy to detect and easy to counter. If it really catches on, it would be easy to build a tiny detector that the Police could carry around (no bigger than a button-cell keychain LED light.) If it really catches on, security cameras will start being built with beefed up IR filters; they already have them, but they currently use just enough so normal IR isn’t a problem (night-vision cameras would be completely vulnerable, however.)


  10. Hey BigD145,

    Love that idea! Not legal but what a fantastic idea. I am sure it can be legally sold just like the under car lighting is fine to use when the vehicle is parked. The purpose of the lights could be to prevent people that are photographing your car from capturing your license plate.


  11. LED’s on your vehicle are only illegal in certain regions. Last time I checked, they just haven’t been certified as replacements to driving/brake/etc lights and that’s about all you could be ticketed for. If people can use that spray on stuff in most states, I’d expect to be able to LED’s.


  12. Bear in mind that some camera’s (I.e. quite a few mobile phones and digital cameras) have built in IR filters in the lens. Sometimes they are quite easy to take out (especially the ones in phones) but obviously, you would not usually have the time or the access to deface the intended CCTV cameras.

    A balaclava would usually suffice 😀


  13. Hi BigD145,

    I guess it all depends on how lenient the law is in your area. Here in Canada you get a ticket for installing those blue LED wiper nozzle attachments. I don’t see any problem with them but I guess it is breaking some law here…


  14. i’m curious on something, will this work at an off angle. from what i’ve read and please correct me if i am wrong this item projects ir out towards the camera. this would make it very directional. when you turn to the side slightly wouldn’t it lose all it’s power and basically not work any more since the ir would not be aimed at the camera?


  15. LED undercarriage lighting on vehicles is illegal in Washington state, but only because it’s distracting. IR’s are not distracting.


  16. As far as its use on cars, IR LEDs should be no problem because for all intents and purposes, they are “Not Turned On”. If anyone asks, just tell them to look, they’re turned off.


  17. They won’t really show in broad daylight. Some cheap IR’s leak into the visible spectrum.


  18. Phil Winder:

    Virtually all cameras have an IR filter because the sensors are very sensitive to IR light. But, the filter is designed to block ambient IR radiation, not purposefully generated IR light. Even the low-power LED in a remote control will show up on a digital camera. Higher powered IR-LEDs do exactly what this article describes.

    As far as plate-blocking: You can make arguments either way. If the cops can see the image they are recording, you’re going to be the brightest thing on that screen. On the other hand, if they are just recording video, (like at a red-light camera) they won’t be able to identify you later.


  19. Dave, Ah, ok, didnt know that. I thought that most things have filters in it, and Ive tried to use my camera and mobile phone to view some IR projects I have done before, and saw nothing. I dont claim that this is true for all devices and LED’s, but for me, the filters also blocked IR.

    Cheers,
    Phil


  20. why? why i must read a new hack against cameras on a english blog that links to a german site? why i dont read that bevore on german blogs… sick world…

    hackedgadgets.com for the win ^^


  21. ha ha I have been wondering if this would work on red light cameras…


  22. I thought what I’d do was, I’d pretend I was one of those deaf mutes


  23. …or should I?


  24. OMFG! IT’s THE LAUGHING MAN! (it’s an anime thing, look up it on google images)


  25. hehe … deaf mutes


  26. what if you put this on your car could you make it so that you do not get caught by those cameras.


  28. Great! IR LEDs create standard Photoshop lens flair when filmed with security cameras!


  29. Go ahead and put a beacon on your person or car that says, “I’m a criminal — come and get me.”


  30. 780nm to 1mm is wavelength, not frequency.



  32. @#30:
    Wavelength and frequency are 2 different ways to describe a base in time, or timebase of an action, or wave. Same result, different ways of describing it.


  33. or just wear a mask. god you people r so stupid!


  34. They used large IR emitting “flashlights” to disable bank security cameras in the movie “Inside Man”. Pretty cool stuff knowing that any ol’ joe can do it.


  35. The question that comes to mind for me is: Can the IR overload be filtered out in post processing? (IE, with Photoshop, Gimp, etc.) I know that when you intentionally use a CCD camera to take IR pics, you have to put a very dark low pass (IR, only low frequencies go through) filter. (Basically: A REALLY dark red filter. No color with a higher frequency than red gets through.) This allows the still camera to see enough IR to make a useful image.
    I don’t have any software available at the moment to do that (work machine, not allowed to install anything), but I know there are band pass filter add ons for both Photoshop and Gimp.
    Be interesting to see if you could back out the face behind the flare.


  36. Interesting idea Mike but I wonder if at some point the CCD is just so saturated that there is no information left.


  37. Alan: Absolutely. After all, the USAF has admitted that the Chinese have managed to “dazzle” spy satellites with lasers, affectively preventing the camera from seeing anything.
    If the DoD (and, more specifically, the NRO) can’t back out the image and clear up the dazzling effect, then there MUST be some threshold at which the every CCD is just simply overloaded.

    However, I think that camera technology will advance faster than the rate at which we could find plausible reasons to have “dark” LEDs on our person. Security guards would quickly be taught to look for them.

    At some point, you’d have to switch to some sort of directed IR, and that defeats the wonderful simplicity of this particular hack. It’s a brilliant hack. I don’t mean to disparage your idea. The simplicity and effectiveness on many (most?) current CCD cameras is great.
    I’m just thinking a couple years down the road.
    CVS is a huge company. They can afford those HD cameras because they are buying in ultra huge bulk. And that will have the eventual effect of lowering the price for everyone else. Market is against you in this case.


  38. Interesting concept.

    Fails.

    The IR energy from the IRLED is delivered as a focused beam. If the beam doesn’t face the camera, IR energy from the IRLED is not the saturating the security camera. Whatever the IRLED may be doing, it MUST face the camera to saturate the camera. That means the perp has to point the IRLED at the camera to keep it saturated. Which means that the perp has to have good aim to keep the focused beam pointed at the security camera.


  39. Spuffler , there are some power IR-leds (see second comment) that have a much larger viewing angle than those used in communications (IRDA for example) if those are used, the person wouldn’t need a good aim 😉
    but your right , the kind used in this project is extremely directional


  40. awesome. I’m seriously considering doing this. Not because I will commit any crimes, just to make the guys watching the screens go wtf??!!


  41. Could these be used to block red light cameras from taking pictures of your license plate.


  42. Brian: No, they use microwave detectors after the red light has turned on, not IR detectors. You can possibly “false triggor” them by transmitting the correct microwave frequency, but you would still get photographed. Still the best way is to have a highly reflective covering on your license plate so when the camera flashes (if it has a flash) your number plate will look saturated. Obviously this is highly illegal, but its hard for the police to spot on the road. The only chance of them catching you is if it doesnt reflect enough and the camera (after some photoshop’ing) can recover your license plate. Also, this doesnt stop them from searching for your face (if you have a criminal record).

    I would just stop jumping red lights!

    Cheers,
    Phil


  43. Phil,

    The microwave detectors are irrelevant. Brian was asking whether an extremely bright infrared light source around the plate could be used to obscure the photo taken by a red-light camera.

    The answer is YES, if you can shine a bright enough IR light at the camera, it will overload the camera sensor, leaving a bright white spot on the photo where your plate should be.



  46. A hat with an array of IR LEDs, and one regular LED for the battery monitor 😉
    And if you wanna totally fry their shit, why not use EMP?


  47. There are two problems with EMPs:
    1) Generating one of significant strength w/out explosives is very difficult.**
    2) I’ve never heard of a directed EMP. To my knowledge (admittedly limited), they are always spherical. What ELSE are you going to hit? The pacemaker of the old man walking down the street? The comm system in the patrol car driving by? Think the cops are gonna just overlook that? 🙂

    **(Yes, I know there are ways to do it, but they are neither quick or simple, hence not a good hack. They are a large scale project for an individual or small group, unless said group happens to consist of highly skilled electrical engineers. Then, I suspect, it’s just a lot of boring wiring of known circuits.) 🙂


  48. will a ir searchlight set off a PIR sensor? if so how well would this work?



  50. I’m afraid the information regarding satellite imagery is incorrect.


  51. I have to ask how well would these work against those traffic light camera’s the ones that take your picture for running red lights and the like. And will it also block the license plate from them.

    I notice some people saying that IRLED’s are directional. Not true. I have a few on a couple computer components. I saw this and tested the theory. I found that they are omni directional at 360 degree’s. It creates a globe of white in the picture about 1.5 feet in diameter. Until you shut it off of course. Everyone down at the gas station knows me so I tested it there too. It does work. I worked with a few forensics programs meant to cut through things like this and only managed to only reveal that I did indeed have eye’s and a mouth.

    I also looked around about the satellite imagery part. It is not 100% false. An extremely high powered laser can block the picture that the camera takes. It whites the entire picture out. The laser itself must be perfectly aimed at the camera lense however.


  52. Do the LED cameras and infrared cameras work the same way? These two systems for example? http://www.flir-b60.com or http://www.fluketir1.com Not that these would be used in security applications I am just wondering the vast price difference.

    thanks


  53. Hi Melissa,

    These cameras should be more sensitive to the IR light than a normal camera.


  54. gomer148 Says:
    Wavelength and frequency are 2 different ways to describe a base in time, or timebase of an action, or wave. Same result, different ways of describing it.

    Frequency and wavelength are inversely proportional, and different measures. With one, you know the other, but they’re different. Wavelength is the measure of distance between two peaks of a wave. Frequency is the measure of time it takes for the waves to alternate.
    The reason it’s misused here is that the article tries to measure frequency in distance (nm). Frequency is measured in hertz, which just means alternations/second.


  55. Besides trying to avoid speed-tickets one could also use it for fun…
    Use some 3watt high power IR leds, add a modified “TVbgone” circuit and drive through town or park in front of an electronics store. All TVs will turn off.

    Anyway… I guess police will be using the cameras of their phones a lot more once people start using this technique to avoid tickets. Just hold your TV-remote in front of your digital camera and push a button to see what I mean. IR may not be visible to human eyes, but it’s detectable easily with very cheap equipment.

    “Chief… about that speeding IR-Toyota, model A, built in 2003. It showed up on surveillance cameras 15 times in area A, only twice in area B and it hasn’t been detected somewhere else yet. I really don’t know where to look for this guy, do you have any suggestions ?”

    No Sherlock Holmes needed here…


  56. They certainly will block whatever is in the Aura of IR Light. Some IR Cameras that are filtered will not be blocked by this method and other methods are used. But for your off the shelf cctv camera they will block most cameras. If someone were to wear a necklace and maybe a hat with 3 or 4 on the brim it would look like a ball of light from the shoulders up. Scary when you think of the ways their are to get by security systems


  57. As a New comer, I am always searching online for articles that can help me. Thank you


  58. One thing which might of concern is the fact that powerful IR-leds may harm eyes. This is also a radiation safety issue.


  59. So what would be need to block red light cameras. I am just interested in this.


  60. Red blocks white light,blue blocks red-light. Visible red light not infrared light. Some IR LED’s used to illuminate have red visible light emissions visible by human eye.
    Not very effective in covert surveillance settings. Same frequency IR LED’s are made to produce no visible light but are very expensive to purchase and sometimes illuminators are
    difficult to disassemble and change out LED’s. So filtering the apature with dark blue filter will mask red light from being visible to human eye without reducing ir illum for camera
    I use different IR LED’s for different applications but find this to be a very inexpensive solution

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