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The parent comment referenced two use-cases for such nefarious components. Both of which seem quite possible: 1. Bridging an air gap. This would basically be a
by evv 8y ago
The parent comment referenced two use-cases for such nefarious components. Both of which seem quite possible:
1. Bridging an air gap. This would basically be a radio repeater that lets you reach other compromised components. It just needs power, and could certainly fit within one of these component packages.
2. Denial of service. The component may be a simple diode, but if it stops working, you could potentially disable a weapon, or maybe even cause it to self-destruct.
That said, I'm sure that defense contractors are very careful about where they source components. They likely have spies placed within their suppliers, and perform regular audits and teardowns of components.
- godelmachine 8y agoFood for thought? https://www.military.com/defensetech/2012/05/30/smoking-gun-proof-that-military-chips-from-china-are-infected https://www.military.com/defensetech/2012/05/30/smoking-gun-...
- areynx 8y ago>That said, I'm sure that defense contractors are very careful about where they source components. Not as careful as you might expect. "Fake" IC components were found in a military 737 [1]. Trusted ICs are a hot topic and the big players in the defense industry are working towards solutions. It's an interesting topic if you have time to read their academic papers. [1] https://military.com/defensetech/2011/11/08/counterfeit-parts-found-on-new-p-8-posiedons https://military.com/defensetech/2011/11/08/counterfeit-part...
- taneq 8y ago> I'm sure that defense contractors are very careful about where they source components. I thought that's why military hardware is so expensive. You're not just paying for a radio or whatever, you're paying for an entire hardened supply chain with everything sourced from trusted manufacturers. I guess maybe that's not the case any more...
- manicdee 8y agoBridging an air gap could also be possible by simply producing a device that looks to x-ray to be a capacitor but is crafted of materials specifically selected for their ability to physically change in some dimension that the attacker is able to measure remotely. Change physical size when charged/discharged, measure sound pressure via lasers on windows or microwaves sensing cavities in concrete walls. The victim doesn’t even need to be specifically targeted if they use commodity components whose design is known. Just arrange for the company producing parts to select a specific recipe.