4 ms·

I would go through zero-day bug instead of this. If one can build a single chip which read sensitive data from hard disk, steal private key from main memory, an

• gruez 6y ago
  >If one can build a single chip which read sensitive data from hard disk, steal private key from main memory, and send data via the ethernet port, that chip must have a lot of pins connecting to pcie bus, qpi etc., and super complex. Nope, if you read the original article the chip is much simpler than what you described. >the primary role of implants such as these is to open doors that other attackers can go through. [...] In simplified terms, the implants on Supermicro hardware manipulated the core operating instructions that tell the server what to do as data move across a motherboard, two people familiar with the chips’ operation say. This happened at a crucial moment, as small bits of the operating system were being stored in the board’s temporary memory en route to the server’s central processor, the CPU. The implant was placed on the board in a way that allowed it to effectively edit this information queue, injecting its own code or altering the order of the instructions the CPU was meant to follow. Deviously small changes could create disastrous effects.
  • sudosysgen 6y ago
    These buses are operating at gigahertz speeds with nanosecond timings. You would need cutting edge chips to do that. The note is correct. They could of course be manufactured, but it would very hard and very noticeable.