This is SCARE-EEY!!!!

a reply to: TheRedneck

MSCONFIG shows nothing out of the ordinary. That is the number one way I I use to prevent the usual bloatware crap from starting up and bogging down the machine. Everything which shows is something I've authorized to run at startup.

Yes, I run Malwarebytes and run a scan about every other day.

Yes, in looking at the file naming convention they could well be dates_times. Everyone (so far) of them can be converted to a date and time in that exact format.

A couple other things I noticed, if the date_time hunch is correct, the bulk of them are from Sept, Oct and December of 17. They are not consecutive days, and they seem to be at random times ranging between 0900 and 1900.

Update - I just confirmed that the file name is, in fact, the 'modified' date in the file's properties. So the date_time hunch is correct, or at least appears to be.

ETA - Seems like everything is 2017. I haven't seen anything in '18 or '19. Or, at least nothing I've found...yet!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

The issue was a series of things, but the final straw was the keyboard not responding properly at all. For example I'd type one letter and 2-3 different letters would show up. Another letter and nothing would show. At first I thought it might just be the keyboard (easy fix with an external keyboard), but then other stuff started happening like programs starting unexpectedly, or closing, then the screen would go screwy and minimize to like 1" across, or blank out, or it would constantly sit there and minimize, maximize, disappear, etc. Definitely seemed to be the MB. No separate video card on that machine so it couldn't have been that.

I think the fan had failed a while back because I rarely heard it come on recently, and this could be part of it. Probably just cooked itself.

OK, that brings up another possibility... not likely by any means, but stranger things have happened.

That fan going out could have overheated the capacitors on your motherboard. Many of those caps are used to filter glitches. If they stopped working properly, it is possible that you were getting glitches coming in from the input ports. In other words, the keyboard or mouse could have been erroneously sending random commands. That name format is the same one used (I think) by Windows Recorder, ad there are likely keyboard shortcuts to it built in.

In other words, the computer thought you had told it to turn on and off Windows Recorder at random times and was simply dutifully storing all those recordings it thought you wanted.

Those caps are often-overlooked components, but the glitches they prevent are some of the hardest little devils to track down. Trust me; I spent an entire day a while back looking for the glitch that was causing the displays on my active project to show garbage that shouldn't have been possible. Turns out I needed a hair more capacitance in that trace. I grabbed some ceramics and soldered them in between some vias and voila! Worked like a charm.

TheRedneck

a reply to: TheRedneck

Well, the only problem there is, the fan was most definitely working during the dates of the recordings (judging by the dates - see previous post).

a reply to: TheRedneck

That sounds somewhat plausible, until you go back and see that these audio clips started in 2017. You would think there would be noticeable problems if the fan went out and the MB was being fried before now.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Thanks OP - this triggered me to check MY laptop.

Using Explorer I searched for "*.mp3" and set the checkmark to SHOW hidden files.

This turned up 3 files of the same filename format you quote - i.e. 6 digit date, underscore, 4 digit time.

I was working at C-level in an IT company when these recordings were made. They were NOT deliberately made by me.

Listening to all three recordings I identified that they were all from meetings where the MS Lync and Cisco Jabber would have been open on my laptop... because there was a lot going on and I had to keep abreast with my gobal team of programme managers, whilst sharing presentations with dialled in teleconferencers.

Did you have either of those 2 Apps, or perhaps a messenger app? It's interesting that mine had the same file formats as yours.

If MS Lync or Cisco Jabber were the culprit then one might think they were just recording everything when the app was being used - but no; only 3 meetings were recorded. What were those meetings? 1) The annual Pay & Reward meeting for a division, 2) a meeting about an imminent redundancy round and 3) a meeting about a new strategy/company reorg.

Side issue:
Having signed an NDA when leaving above assignment, I guess I now need to delete these recordings. How many people could get caught out on an "NDA misdemeanour" because of recordings they didn't know existed?

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: PokeyJoe

Well, other than a keyboard glitch, or maybe some other app was accessing Windows Recorder, I have no idea then. I have a lot of faith in MalWareBytes; they've never let me down yet. It's one of the first installs I do on a new system.

TheRedneck

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Hey FCD,

December 5th 2017 you had some problems with the ATS live page (apparently a known issue on ATS)...

Do you remember what you did back then?

Peace

a reply to: RelSciHistItSufi

None that I've listened to so far were meetings (I haven't listened to them all...yet). Most of them seem to be random discussions, but here's the weird part (if this wasn't weird enough already)...all of them seem to encapsulate an entire conversation. They don't start in the middle, and they're not cut short.

No, I don't use MSlync or Jabber. We generally use Webex, but again these don't seem to be meeting oriented. My desktop at work used to run Skype, and I had to do some major surgery to undo that piece of excrement...because I KNOW that thing spied on people (someone actually demonstrated it in action to me once). So, I'd never run that on one of my laptops.

ETA - BTW, your NDA is a durable document and still enforceable. You'd be in trouble if you shared the conversations, but just having them isn't really an issue...because the terms of the NDA are still in force.

It sounds like you got subseven'd to me.

a reply to: vinifalou

I bet they will eventually bring in some type of law that will make tampering with said equipment to disable things illegal too.

a reply to: TheRedneck

Yeah, I don't know. I'll have to keep looking into it.

I mean, there's lots of ways a recording could happen on a laptop, it's just the fact that they apparently happened without my knowledge which is the troubling part. And then there's the really weird part about them spanning an entire conversation. It's like someone pressed "record", and then pressed "stop" at the end, that part is really weird.

And just a side note: From what I've listened to so far none of these discussions seem to be something I would have needed a computer for. So it's not like I would have been manipulating anything on my computer when they took place. In one case, I can tell I'm not even near the computer; it sounds like I'm across the room.

a reply to: operation mindcrime

No I don't recall. I'll have to look and see.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

This Headphone Jack Plug Stops Hackers From Eavesdropping Through Your Devices' Microphones

This will stop the muther effers!!!

originally posted by: Xabi87
a reply to: vinifalou

I bet they will eventually bring in some type of law that will make tampering with said equipment to disable things illegal too.

The Patriot Act made it legal. The 4th Amendment is gone.

originally posted by: Xabi87
a reply to: vinifalou

I bet they will eventually bring in some type of law that will make tampering with said equipment to disable things illegal too.

The Patriot Act made it legal. The 4th Amendment is gone.

Not sure if anyone mentioned this I did scan the whole post. What I find odd is that they are mp3 files? Most things if recording raw will not create mp3's unless it was to save space. Did you do a search for .wav's also?

Also, google will record you and I know there were some issues in 2017 regarding it.

Good luck.

a reply to: matafuchs

Good point. The search string I used for my data files did not include *.wav, so I don't know. I'd need an external keyboard to search the old laptop for those because the "w" and "a" keys are non-functional and the "v" key results in "VFG" being typed.

ETA - My hunch is, whatever recorded these files used the .MP3 format so they would be more easily sent somewhere. WAV files would be huge and would require a ton of bandwidth to send very many of them.

Let me ask you a couple questions.
What media player are you using?
Secondly when you use malwarebytes are you using the "Flash" scan option, and are you able to run it?

Also here is a fee app also from Malwarbytes. Try it, it's free.

Antirootkit Beta

And also try this to see if you are indeed being spied upon.
detekt

BTW, you are one of my favorite ATS posters, just love your well written stories.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Very scary FCD

When I got my lap top, I got onto YouTube and learned how to physically destroy the connections to the web cam and microphone

I don't use that garbage anyhow

Additionally, a lead lined box with R-foil board surrounding it is where my cellular phone sits until I need to place a call

If I were concerned about other types of surveillance, I would buy noise generators and transducers for all reflective surfaces (not just glass)

Of course my "other" system is not even connected to the Internet or any network and does not use wireless what so ever. Sure, air grapes are not perfect but since I do not use removable media it is probably fairly secure. Full disk encryption, network encryption (on this PC) and locking them up in a safe when not in use is another good solution (a real safe, one of those TL-60 or 30 I forget...pharmacy safes... thing weighs a ton)

Is there any reason you can think of someone would have wanted to listen to you, OP?