4 ms·

So all of these attacks work? Targeting different systems? Probably took non-zero effort to develop? What exactly is the problem? Let me tell you about these c

So all of these attacks work? Targeting different systems? Probably took non-zero effort to develop? What exactly is the problem? Let me tell you about these chemists that publish paper after paper involving carbon bonds. Like, give it a rest.

TimTheTinker 4y ago
My takeaway is: if an air-gapped system is compromised, just assume all data on it is at high risk of exfiltration. I won't be surprised if even the power connection becomes a future (unintended) means of data transmission.
- ByThyGrace 4y ago
  No need to wait for the future. It already is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power-line_communication https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power-line_communication
  - sneak 4y ago
    Stock hardware, they mean.
  - waste_monk 4y ago
    Powerline communications usually needs dedicated Ethernet (or what have you) <-> power line converter... I think they meant something more like powerhammer [1] which works by controlling processor workload, causing the power draw of the system to throttle up and down in such a way that it becomes a useful exfiltration channel (assuming your adversary can tap into a distribution board and measure power usage). [1] https://arxiv.org/pdf/1804.04014.pdf https://arxiv.org/pdf/1804.04014.pdf - by the same guy as the OP paper
    - bitwize 4y ago
      Somewhere, Spacebar Heat Guy[0] is sending coded messages to his handlers via spacebar presses that linger for just 100ms or so too long... [0] https://xkcd.com/1172/ https://xkcd.com/1172/
      - staindk 4y ago
        Every now and then we fix some side-effect-having bug in our codebase that makes me think of SHG. What a lad.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- toomanybeersies 4y ago
  > I won't be surprised if even the power connection becomes a future (unintended) means of data transmission. That's already a thing. From the same author as the TFA, PowerHammer [1] exfiltrates data using current flow fluctuations. There's also Powermitter [2] (from some researchers at Wuhan University), which is exfiltration via power supply EMF leakage. [1] https://arxiv.org/pdf/1804.04014.pdf https://arxiv.org/pdf/1804.04014.pdf [2] https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8300280 https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8300280
prvit 4y ago
These attacks work against defenders that can’t be bothered to implement WW2 era defences. These kinds of “attacks” have been well understood for a good 70 years now. It’s simply restating the obvious. Nothing has changed, unshielded electronics continue to let out measurable EM emissions. The people who worry about this sort of thing have been shielding their electronics since well before computers as we know them existed. > Probably took non-zero effort to develop? In the sense that doing anything takes non-zero effort by definition.

TimTheTinker 4y ago

My takeaway is: if an air-gapped system is compromised, just assume all data on it is at high risk of exfiltration. I won't be surprised if even the power connection becomes a future (unintended) means of data transmission.

ByThyGrace 4y ago
No need to wait for the future. It already is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power-line_communication https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power-line_communication
- sneak 4y ago
  Stock hardware, they mean.
- waste_monk 4y ago
  Powerline communications usually needs dedicated Ethernet (or what have you) <-> power line converter... I think they meant something more like powerhammer [1] which works by controlling processor workload, causing the power draw of the system to throttle up and down in such a way that it becomes a useful exfiltration channel (assuming your adversary can tap into a distribution board and measure power usage). [1] https://arxiv.org/pdf/1804.04014.pdf https://arxiv.org/pdf/1804.04014.pdf - by the same guy as the OP paper
  - bitwize 4y ago
    Somewhere, Spacebar Heat Guy[0] is sending coded messages to his handlers via spacebar presses that linger for just 100ms or so too long... [0] https://xkcd.com/1172/ https://xkcd.com/1172/
    - staindk 4y ago
      Every now and then we fix some side-effect-having bug in our codebase that makes me think of SHG. What a lad.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
toomanybeersies 4y ago
> I won't be surprised if even the power connection becomes a future (unintended) means of data transmission. That's already a thing. From the same author as the TFA, PowerHammer [1] exfiltrates data using current flow fluctuations. There's also Powermitter [2] (from some researchers at Wuhan University), which is exfiltration via power supply EMF leakage. [1] https://arxiv.org/pdf/1804.04014.pdf https://arxiv.org/pdf/1804.04014.pdf [2] https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8300280 https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8300280

prvit 4y ago

These attacks work against defenders that can’t be bothered to implement WW2 era defences. These kinds of “attacks” have been well understood for a good 70 years now. It’s simply restating the obvious. Nothing has changed, unshielded electronics continue to let out measurable EM emissions. The people who worry about this sort of thing have been shielding their electronics since well before computers as we know them existed. > Probably took non-zero effort to develop? In the sense that doing anything takes non-zero effort by definition.