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authorFrancis Rowe <info@gluglug.org.uk>2014-07-28 18:33:00 (EDT)
committer Michał Masłowski <mtjm@mtjm.eu>2014-08-22 14:19:33 (EDT)
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Libreboot release 6 beta 4.
- Documentation: improved (more explanations, background info) in docs/howtos/x60_security.html (courtesy of Denis Carikli) - MacBook2,1 tested (confirmed) - macbook21: Added script 'macbook21_firstflash' for flashing libreboot while Apple EFI firmware is running. - Documentation: macbook21: added software-based flashing instructions for flashing libreboot while Apple EFI firmware is running. - Reduced size of libreboot_src.tar.gz: - Removed .git and .gitignore from grub directory (libreboot_src); not needed. Removing them reduces the size of the archive (by a lot). GRUB development should be upstream. - Removed .git and .gitignore from bucts directory (libreboot_src); not needed. Removing them reduces the size of the archive. bucts development should be upstream. - Removed .svn from flashrom directory (libreboot_src); not needed. Removing it reduces the size of the archive. flashrom development should be upstream. - Added ROM's with Qwerty (Italian) layout in GRUB (libreboot*itqwerty.rom) - Added resources/utilities/i945gpu/intel-regs.py for debugging issues related to LCD panel compatibility on X60 Tablet and T60. (courtesy of Michał Masłowski)
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diff --git a/docs/howtos/x60_security.html b/docs/howtos/x60_security.html
index fc9cb0b..fc631bf 100644
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+++ b/docs/howtos/x60_security.html
@@ -44,6 +44,35 @@
<li>none (at least in the scope of the article as-is)</li>
</ul>
+ <h1>
+ Rationale
+ </h1>
+ <p>
+ Most people think of security on the software side: the hardware is important aswell.
+ Hardware security is useful in particular to journalists (or activists in a given movement) who need absolute privacy in their work.
+ It is also generally useful to all those that believe security and privacy are inalienable rights.
+ Security starts with the hardware; crypto and network security come later.
+ </p>
+ <p>
+ Paradoxically, going this far to increase your security also makes you a bigger target.
+ At the same time, it protects you in the case that someone does attack your machine.
+ This paradox only exists while few people take adequate steps to protect yourself: it is your <b>duty</b>
+ to protect yourself, not only for your benefit but to make strong security <i>normal</i> so
+ that those who do need protection (and claim it) are a smaller target against the masses.
+ </p>
+ <p>
+ Even if there are levels of security beyond your ability (technically, financially and so on)
+ doing at least <i>something</i> (what you are able to do) is extremely important.
+ If you use the internet and your computer without protection, attacking you is cheap (some say it is
+ only a few US cents). If everyone (majority of people) use strong security by default,
+ it makes attacks more costly and time consuming; in effect, making them disappear.
+ </p>
+ <p>
+ This tutorial deals with reducing the number of devices that have direct memory access that
+ could communicate with inputs/outputs that could be used to remotely
+ command the machine (or leak data).
+ </p>
+
<h1 id="procedure">Disassembly</h1>
<p>
@@ -58,7 +87,7 @@
If your model was WWAN, remove the simcard (check anyway):<br/>
Uncover those 2 screws at the bottom:<br/>
<img src="x60_security/0000_simcard0.jpg" alt="" /><br/>
- SIM card is in the marked location:<br/>
+ SIM card (not present in the picture) is in the marked location:<br/>
<img src="x60_security/0000_simcard1.jpg" alt="" /><br/>
Replacement: USB dongle.
</p>
@@ -99,9 +128,12 @@
<p>
Remove the microphone (can desolder it, but you can also easily pull it off with you hands). Already removed here:<br/>
<img src="x60_security/0001_microphone.jpg" alt="" /><br/>
- We do not know what the built-in microcode (on the CPU) is doing. The theory is that it could be programmed to take commands that do something
- and then the CPU returns results. (meaning, remote security hole). So we remove it, just in case.<br/>
- Replacement: external microphone on USB or line-in jack.
+ <b>Rationale:</b><br/>
+ Another reason to remove the microphone: If your computer gets<a href="#ref1">[1]</a> compromised, it can
+ record what you say, and use it to receive data from nearby devices if
+ they're compromised too. Also, we do not know what the built-in microcode (in the CPU) is doing; it could theoretically
+ be programmed to accept remote commands from some speaker somewhere (remote security hole). <b>In other words,
+ the machine could already be compromised from the factory.</b>
</p>
<p>
@@ -114,13 +146,25 @@
Remove the speaker:<br/>
<img src="x60_security/0001_speaker.jpg" alt="" /><br/>
Reason: combined with the microphone issue, this could be used to leak data.<br/>
+ If your computer gets<a href="#ref1">[1]</a> compromised, it can be used to
+ transmit data to nearby compromised devices. It's unknown if it can be
+ turned into a microphone<a href="#ref2">[2]</a>.<br/>
Replacement: headphones/speakers (line-out) or external DAC (USB).
</p>
<p>
Remove the wlan (also remove wwan if you have it):<br/>
<img src="x60_security/0001_wlan_wwan.jpg" alt="" /><br/>
- Reason: has direct (and very fast) memory access, and could (theoretically) leak data over a side-channel.
+ Reason: has direct (and very fast) memory access, and could (theoretically) leak data over a side-channel.<br/>
+ <b>Wifi:</b> The ath5k/ath9k cards might not have firmware at all. They might safe but could have
+ access to the computer's RAM trough DMA. If people have an intel
+ card(most X60's come with Intel wifi by default, until you change it),then that card runs
+ a non-free firwamre and has access to the computer's RAM trough DMA! So
+ it's risk-level is very high.<br/>
+ <b>Wwan (3d modem):</b> They run proprietary software and have access to the
+ computer's RAM! So it's like AMT but over the GSM network which is
+ probably even worse.<br/>
+ Replacement: external USB wifi dongle. (or USB wwan/3g dongle; note, this has all the same privacy issues as mobile phones. wwan not recommended).
</p>
<h2>
@@ -139,7 +183,7 @@
or directly to the video: <a href="http://mirror.netcologne.de/CCC/congress/2013/webm/30c3-5529-en-Hardening_hardware_and_choosing_a_goodBIOS_webm.webm">http://mirror.netcologne.de/CCC/congress/2013/webm/30c3-5529-en-Hardening_hardware_and_choosing_a_goodBIOS_webm.webm</a>.
</p>
<p>
- A lot of this tutorial is based on that video. Look towards the second half of the video to see how to do the abev.
+ A lot of this tutorial is based on that video. Look towards the second half of the video to see how to do the above.
</p>
<h2>
@@ -158,8 +202,69 @@
<li>
General tips/advice and web links showing how to detect physical intrusions.
</li>
+ <li>
+ For example: <a href="http://cs.tau.ac.il/~tromer/acoustic/">http://cs.tau.ac.il/~tromer/acoustic/</a>
+ </li>
+ </ul>
+
+ <h1>
+ Extra notes
+ </h1>
+ <p>
+ EC: Cannot be removed but can be mitigated: it contains non-free
+ non-loadable code, but it has no access to the computer's RAM.
+ It has access to the on-switch of the wifi, bluetooth, modem and some
+ other power management features. The issue is that it has access to the
+ keyboard, however if the software security howto <b>(not yet written)</b> is followed correctly,
+ it won't be able to leak data to a local attacker. It has no network
+ access but it may still be able to leak data remotely, but that
+ requires someone to be nearby to recover the data with the help of an
+ SDR and some directional antennas<a href="#ref3">[3]</a>.
+ </p>
+
+ <h2>
+ Risk level
+ </h2>
+ <ul>
+ <li>Modem: highest</li>
+ <li>Intel wifi: Near highest</li>
+ <li>Atheros PCI wifi: unknown, but lower than intel wifi.</li>
+ <li>Microphone: only problematic if the computer gets compromised.</li>
+ <li>Speakers: only problematic if the computer gets compromised.</li>
+ <li>EC: can be mitigated if following the <b>(not yet written)</b> guide on software security.</li>
</ul>
+ <h1>
+ References
+ </h1>
+ <h2 id="ref1">[1] physical access</h2>
+ <p>
+ Explain that black hats, TAO, and so on might use a 0day to get in,
+ and explain that in this case it mitigates what the attacker can do.
+ Also the TAO do some evaluation before launching an attack: they take
+ the probability of beeing caught into account, along with the kind of
+ target. A 0day costs a lot of money, I heard that it was from 100000$
+ to 400000$, some other websites had prices 10 times lower but that
+ but it was probably a typo. So if people increase their security it
+ makes it more risky and more costly to attack people.
+ </p>
+ <h2 id="ref2">[2] microphone</h2>
+ <p>
+ It's possible to turn headphones into a microphone, you could try
+ yourself, however they don't record loud at all. Also intel cards have
+ the capability to change a connector's function, for instance the
+ microphone jack can now become a headphone plug, that's called
+ retasking. There is some support for it in GNU/Linux but it's not very
+ well known.
+ </p>
+ <h2 id="ref3">[3] Video (CCC)</h2>
+ <p>
+ 30c3-5356-en-Firmware_Fat_Camp_webm.webm from the 30th CCC. While
+ their demo is experimental(their hardware also got damaged during the
+ transport), the spies probably already have that since a long time.
+ <a href="http://berlin.ftp.media.ccc.de/congress/2013/webm/30c3-5356-en-Firmware_Fat_Camp_webm.webm">http://berlin.ftp.media.ccc.de/congress/2013/webm/30c3-5356-en-Firmware_Fat_Camp_webm.webm</a>
+ </p>
+
<hr/>
<p>