YouTube Phreaking: How to Extract a Phone Number from a YouTube Clip

How to Extract a Phone Number from a YouTube Clip

Every key on a telephone keypad has its own sonic signature, a sort of calling card composed of two distinct tones: one high, one low. While it's easy to tell the difference between the individual pitches in a single row—see, for example, this article on using your cell phone as a musical instrument—, it's often difficult to differentiate between notes within the same column. Unless, of course, you outsource the work to a computer! Which is what Uruguayan hacker [Charlie X-Ray] recently set out to do. 

With a little help from Python and Audacity, Charlie came up with a method of extracting phone numbers from video clips featuring audible key presses. The results output to a neat, easy-to-read spectrogram. Moral of the story? Don't let the camera hear you dial if you want to keep a number private! 

YouTube Phreaking: How to Extract a Phone Number from a YouTube Clip

Interested in trying it out yourself? You'll find complete details on Charlie's website (Google translation).

Just updated your iPhone? You'll find new Apple Intelligence capabilities, sudoku puzzles, Camera Control enhancements, volume control limits, layered Voice Memo recordings, and other useful features. Find out what's new and changed on your iPhone with the iOS 18.2 update.

Photo by sydneya

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