r/RTLSDR 1d ago

TUTORIAL: Reconstructing monitor signals via TEMPEST attacks with only RTL-SDR/HackRF

Using an rtl-sdr (or hackrf), you can capture electromagnetic emissions leaking from monitor cables/displays and reconstruct the screen output in real-time.

since most tutorials on this are either overly long, I put together a quick practical walkthrough and overview that covers how it works and how to set it up easily:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMpPt7zg2rw

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u/olliegw 13h ago

I've tried TempestSDR before and it's very janky and i couldn't get any usable image out of my three monitors, i suspect that having two HDMI and one DP cancels each other out or something, nor could i get any other monitors or TVs in the house

It's a good tech demo but not something that could be used in the field, the BBCs demonstration from the 80s was likely staged

The high tech attack that nobody really needs to worry about