How do I disable the iSight camera on Mac OS 10.6?

I want to disable my camera. Have it stop working. Have all applications that can use the camera to be unable to use the camera anymore. I would cut it out physically from the device if that wouldn't void the warranty and wouldn't be so brutal and barbaric, but I'd like a software solution. Deleting /System/Library/QuickTime/QuickTimeUSBVDCDigitizer.component doesn't help. What can I do?

rid

Posted 2011-05-26T15:30:17.087

Reputation: 602

Aside: and this is why I love my XO-1. The camera and microphone LEDs are hard-wired to light when the camera/mic are sampling. And since they are tested on boot, I'd know if someone disconnected them. :) – Broam – 2011-05-26T17:13:31.763

I have very few bad things to say about Macs really, they work very well, but it's little things like these that can drive users mad. – rid – 2011-05-26T17:49:32.617

Answers

The most absolute way to ensure that iSight will stop working would be to open the macbook up, but I understand not wanting to do so.

I think what you are looking for is the following (type this in the terminal):

sudo launchctl unload -w com.apple.IIDCAssistant.plist

Source: "NSA's Guide to Hardening OSX 10.6"

bacord

Posted 2011-05-26T15:30:17.087

Reputation: 223

It says: launchctl: Couldn't stat("com.apple.IIDCAssistant.plist"): No such file or directory nothing found to unload. The camera is still working. – rid – 2011-05-26T15:48:43.003

sudo launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.IIDCAssistant.plist works though, but still, the camera is alive. Nothing happened. – rid – 2011-05-26T15:49:50.320

Later in that article it mentions removing the following file, which it seems you had already tried. /System/Library/ Quicktime/QuicktimeUSBVDCDigitizer.component – bacord – 2011-05-26T15:56:17.253

It also mentions how to remove the internal microphone. Delete the following file /System/Library/Extensions/IOAudioFamily.kext I would be careful doing so though. It seems that this could affect the sound system in general. After a reboot run this command sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions – bacord – 2011-05-26T15:57:55.540

Regarding nothing happening, I would do a simple reboot and see if the changes have been made. – bacord – 2011-05-26T15:58:14.013

@bacord, did that too. ls: /System/Library/Quicktime/QuicktimeUSBVDCDigitizer.component: No such file or directory. Camera is still happily alive. – rid – 2011-05-26T15:58:16.127

Rebooting now... – rid – 2011-05-26T15:58:41.540

Rebooted. Camera is alive. – rid – 2011-05-26T16:04:57.283

@rdineiu I would make sure you have the right permissions to type those commands, type again and then do a restart. If that doesn't work I'm not sure what else to do, I still want my iSight so I'm not willing to test it out. – bacord – 2011-05-26T16:12:07.163

@bacord, I used sudo, typed in my password, then the command ran without producing any error. After that, I rebooted... – rid – 2011-05-26T16:13:21.623

There's always the low-tech solution of a piece of electrical tape over the camera, or the determined hacker's modification of disconnecting/desoldering the hardware itself.

If your laptop is still under warranty, go for the band-aid over the camera trick. The pad shouldn't scratch the lens.

Broam

Posted 2011-05-26T15:30:17.087

Reputation: 3 831

Really? I mean, is this the only way? There must be something software that all applications using the camera need to connect to... I don't mind removing or altering anything software as long as I can get the camera off! – rid – 2011-05-26T15:47:19.773

I've used the electrical tape method in the past. If the end goal is for the camera to not be usable, this would do it, and if you cut out a nice circle with a hole punch it would fit perfectly on it without damaging or altering anything. If it's not something you want to do for some reason, that's fine, this option has worked well for me in the past though. – bmbaeb – 2011-05-26T16:30:46.137

1Can you be sure that the software you remove isn't reinstalled through an update? If you're paranoid enough to ask about how to disable the camera for all applications, making the camera return meaningless input is just about as good. – Broam – 2011-05-26T17:12:26.227

@Broam, ideally I'd like to have a software on / off switch. Run this and get the camera off, run this and get the camera back on. I think this is the only OS I worked with that makes it so incredibly hard to turn off the camera. I really don't find it acceptable to need to alter my Mac physically just so I can do something that should be available via software in an easy way. – rid – 2011-05-26T17:54:27.270

Plus, it's not about paranoia, I simply don't want the camera to be on sometimes. I would like to be able to choose when the camera is on and when it's off. Am I really asking too much? – rid – 2011-05-26T18:02:02.293

No, you're not - but the Mac doesn't have a hardware switch to control the camera. Most people go with a flap or cover. – Broam – 2011-05-26T18:07:47.593

You can create a text file with the content below. Open a text editor, paste the contents and save it with the name disableCamera.mobileconfig. Now you can open it using Finder to install a device profile that disables the camera.

It's easy to enable the camera again: Open the profile dialogue by opening the file again, then cancel the request to install the profile. Then select the Disable Camera profile and click the - button.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
  <dict>
    <key>PayloadIdentifier</key>
    <string>com.apple.mdm.mba.263c7450-4ae1-0133-5b68-68a86d032b5e.alacarte</string>
    <key>PayloadRemovalDisallowed</key>
    <false/>
    <key>PayloadScope</key>
    <string>System</string>
    <key>PayloadType</key>
    <string>Configuration</string>
    <key>PayloadUUID</key>
    <string>263c7450-4ae1-0133-5b68-68a86d032b5e</string>
    <key>PayloadOrganization</key>
    <string>Paul</string>
    <key>PayloadVersion</key>
    <integer>1</integer>
    <key>PayloadDisplayName</key>
    <string>Disable Camera</string>
    <key>PayloadDescription</key>
    <string>This profile will enable an OS X Restrictions payload where the only option configured to remove permissions is "Allow Camera Use" is unchecked</string>
    <key>PayloadContent</key>
    <array>

      <dict>
        <key>PayloadType</key>
        <string>com.apple.coremediaio.support</string>
        <key>PayloadVersion</key>
        <integer>1</integer>
        <key>PayloadIdentifier</key>
        <string>com.apple.mdm.mba.263c7450-4ae1-0133-5b68-68a86d032b5e.alacarte.macosxrestrictions.26341050-4ae1-0133-5b67-68a86d032b5e.support</string>
        <key>PayloadEnabled</key>
        <true/>
        <key>PayloadUUID</key>
        <string>82807313-a6ee-8f6a-34a3-060c3fc6ec24</string>
        <key>PayloadDisplayName</key>
        <string>Disable Camera</string>
        <key>Device Access Allowed</key>
        <false/>
      </dict>
    </array>
  </dict>
</plist>

(Solution found in this comment thread on techslaves.org. A file for download is linked in this comment.)

Dag Høidahl

Posted 2011-05-26T15:30:17.087

Reputation: 111

I haven't this tried yet, but maybe temporarily removing the camera driver/.kext might work.

References:

George Profenza

Posted 2011-05-26T15:30:17.087

Reputation: 728

Building on George's answer, this Hacmac page suggests moving two iSight driver files:

Are you constantly seeing the green light on? Just paranoid? Use these handy terminal commands to disable the iSight camera (be sure to replace YourName with your username!):
sudo mv /System/Library/QuickTime/QuickTimeUSBVDCDigitizer.component /Users/YourName/Desktop
and
sudo mv /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/CoreMediaIOServicesPrivate.framework/Versions/A/Resources/VDC.plugin /Users/YourName/Desktop
What you have just done is move two drivers for the iSight camera out of their system folders and onto your Desktop. If you wish to reverse this move, you simply change the direction (assuming you haven’t moved the files since then):
sudo mv/Users/YourName/Desktop/QuickTimeUSBVDCDigitizer.component/System/Library/QuickTime/
and
sudo mv /Users/YourName/Desktop/VDC.plugin /System/Library/PrivateFramework/CoreMediaIOServicesPrivate.framework/Versions/A/Resources/
If you want to make the iSight stay disabled forever, simply dump the files on your Desktop into the Trash and empty it.

JW8

Posted 2011-05-26T15:30:17.087

Reputation: 1 162