Camouflage

Ultrasonic audio jamming tool to protect against unauthorized recording

Camouflage generates ultrasonic signals (20-24kHz) that interfere with audio recording devices while remaining inaudible to humans. It operates in two distinct modes:

Features

• Speaker Jammer Mode: Outputs ultrasonic signals through speakers to jam nearby microphones
• System Jammer Mode: Creates virtual audio devices to prevent remote recording during voice calls
• Multi-tone Generation: Uses multiple ultrasonic frequencies for increased effectiveness
• Inaudible Operation: Optimized amplitude settings to remain completely inaudible
• Cross-platform Support: macOS, Linux, and Windows (platform-specific features vary)

Installation

From Source

# Build the project
make build

# Or use cargo directly
cargo build --release

Usage

Speaker Jammer Mode

Output ultrasonic signal through speakers to jam nearby microphones:

# Run with default settings
cargo run -- speaker

# Or using the binary
./target/release/camouflage speaker

# Custom frequency and amplitude
./target/release/camouflage speaker -f 23000 -a 0.3

# Multi-tone jamming with frequency spread
./target/release/camouflage speaker -n 5 -s 500

System Jammer Mode

Create virtual audio device to prevent remote call recording:

# Run with default settings
cargo run -- system

# Custom mix ratio
./target/release/camouflage system -m 0.5

Daemon Mode (Background Operation)

Run Camouflage continuously in the background:

# Start daemon
camouflage daemon start

# Check status
camouflage daemon status

# Stop daemon
camouflage daemon stop

# Enable auto-start on boot
camouflage daemon enable

# Disable auto-start
camouflage daemon disable

Auto-start details:

• macOS: Installs LaunchAgent (~/Library/LaunchAgents/so.nomi.camouflage.plist)
• Linux: Installs systemd user service (~/.config/systemd/user/camouflage.service)
• Windows: Instructions for Startup folder shortcut

Install System Audio Device

Set up platform-specific virtual audio for system mode:

# macOS: Installs BlackHole via Homebrew
camouflage install

# Linux: Creates PulseAudio loopback
camouflage install

# Windows: Shows VB-Cable installation instructions
camouflage install

Options

• -f, --frequency <HZ>: Ultrasonic frequency (20000-30000 Hz, default: 23000)
• -a, --amplitude <VALUE>: Signal amplitude (0.0-1.0, default: 0.25 - optimized for inaudibility)
• -n, --num-tones <COUNT>: Number of tones for multi-tone jamming (default: 3)
• -s, --spread <HZ>: Frequency spread for multi-tone (default: 300)
• -m, --mix-ratio <VALUE>: Mix ratio for system mode (0.0-1.0, default: 0.5)

How It Works

Signal Generation

Camouflage generates ultrasonic signals in the 20-24kHz range, which is above the normal human hearing range but within the frequency response of most microphones. The signal uses:

• Multi-tone generation: Multiple ultrasonic frequencies spread across a range
• Optimized amplitude: Low enough to be inaudible but effective for jamming
• Real-time processing: Continuous signal generation with minimal latency

Speaker Jammer Mode

In speaker mode, the tool:

1. Generates ultrasonic signals
2. Outputs them through your system's default audio device
3. The signals travel through air and interfere with nearby microphones

System Jammer Mode

In system mode, the tool:

1. Creates a virtual audio device (platform-specific)
2. Captures system audio output
3. Mixes it with ultrasonic signals
4. Routes the combined signal to speakers
5. Prevents clean audio capture during remote calls

Testing

The project includes comprehensive tests:

# Run all tests
make test

# Run E2E tests with Whisper/Deepgram
cargo test --package camouflage-tests

# Run benchmarks
cargo bench

Performance

Tested against commercial STT services:

• OpenAI Whisper: 95%+ jamming effectiveness
• Deepgram: 90%+ jamming effectiveness
• CPU Usage: <5% on modern hardware
• Latency: <10ms in system mode

Platform Support

Platform	Speaker Mode	System Mode	Status
macOS	✅	✅	Fully supported
Linux	✅	🚧	In progress
Windows	✅	🚧	In progress

Development

# Build
make build

# Run tests
make test

# Run linter
make lint

# Clean build artifacts
make clean

Safety and Legal Considerations

• This tool is designed for privacy protection and should be used responsibly
• Check local laws regarding audio jamming devices
• Use appropriate amplitude levels to avoid speaker damage
• The tool operates in ultrasonic ranges that may affect pets or wildlife

Architecture

The project is organized as a Rust workspace:

• camouflage/: CLI application and main entry point
• camouflage-core/: Core signal generation and jamming logic
• camouflage-tests/: E2E tests and validation against STT services

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details

Documentation

• Usage Guide - Comprehensive usage instructions
• Architecture - Technical architecture and design
• Contributing - Guide for contributors

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

Acknowledgments

Built with:

• cpal for cross-platform audio
• clap for CLI parsing
• tokio for async runtime