Detecting Voice Cloning Attacks via Timbre Watermarking
Chang Liu
Network and Distributed System Security (NDSS) Symposium 2024 · Day 2 · Audio & Voice Security
In an increasingly "Ear Economy" era, where audio content is shared ubiquitously for both social and commercial purposes, the security landscape faces a critical challenge: the proliferation of advanced voice cloning technology. This talk, presented by Chang Liu at the NDSS Symposium, introduces a groundbreaking solution: **Timbre Watermarking** for detecting and tracing unauthorized voice clones. Attackers can now effortlessly impersonate individuals by leveraging publicly available audio, leading to severe consequences such as financial fraud, reputational damage, and copyright infringement. A stark illustration of this threat was the deepfake audio of President Biden, which caused public alarm by announcing a fabricated attack plan against Russia. The fundamental problem addressed by this research is the unauthorized synthesis of an individual's unique vocal timbre.