“On the Feasibility of Side-Channel Attacks with Brain-Computer Interfaces”

No, this isn't an article from The Onion.  It's why I love working in the field of computer security.  This is awesome:

A little-reported (at first) bit of research presented at this month’s Usenix conference makes the startling claim that consumer-grade EEG-based interface devices – like Emotiv and NeuroSky headsets – could be used to gain private information from users.

The combination of sexy gadget and sci-fi attack was too much for the hipsters over at ExtremeTech, with the headline “Hackers backdoor the human brain”, and CrazyEngineers, which took an axe to language with “Hackers Unauthorizedly Access Human Brain”.

Actually, what the researchers demonstrate might be considered unremarkable when you deconstruct it:

1. A consumer peripheral doesn’t secure its communications with its host (other peripherals that use unsecured communications include your keyboard, mouse, and headphones).

2. These particular peripherals actually do what the package says they do.

This neatly captures the nexus of gee wizz - nothing to see move along - quick Robbin to the hypemobile that keeps the industry perennially young.  I can't see anything to worry about here, and I've been trained to be paranoid by the finest minds in the Free World.

But hey, we have two way TVs and hackers recreating Neuromancer!  It's livin' large, in the future!

Pedants can read the actual presentation here.