Is your computer mouse eavesdropping on you?

Researchers at the University of California demonstrated "Mic-E-Mouse", a side-channel technique that uses high-performance optical mouse sensors and AI to reconstruct intelligible user speech from tiny vibrations; the proof-of-concept achieved ~61% accuracy with a $35 mouse. The attack requires special software on the victim machine to collect and exfiltrate mouse-movement data, manufacturers have been notified, and mitigations include firmware updates, physical mouse mats/desk covers, working in noisier environments, and use of up-to-date anti-malware.