People are getting paranoid about their webcams nowadays. What I am wondering is, are those LED's that indicate that the webcam is working wired in such a way that they can be disabled?
I would have assumed that the LED is simply connected in series with the webcam power line and that it cannot possibly be "hacked"
Am i correct in my thinking or can those leds be actually hacked so that someone can use the webcam without the LED shining?
I'm no expert on this but my guess is that this depends on the model and make of your webcam. Some manufacturers might just wire them in series but others may control the LED through firmware. If it's indeed controlled by software then yes, it's theoretically possible to prevent the LED from turning on while still enabling the webcam.
LEDs definitely aren't just connected to webcam's power. All webcams are USB devices, even laptop ones (they are using an internal connector). They are powered as soon as you plug them in or power on the computer.
So they are either enabled by firmware or by driver. I remember that you could disable the LED on some Logitech webcams by modifying registry entries, so we know that some webcams can be configured to capture image with the LED off.
I'm not sure how modern Logitech webcams and other manufacturers implement this. Controlling the LED in firmware would be safer, but not 100% safe - the firmware may be replaceable.
Remember that even the most secure driver and firmware won't protect you from not seeing the glowing LED.
TL;DR: You can trust only non-transparent adhesive tape.
