diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'docs/howtos/x60_security.html')
| -rw-r--r-- | docs/howtos/x60_security.html | 117 |
1 files changed, 111 insertions, 6 deletions
diff --git a/docs/howtos/x60_security.html b/docs/howtos/x60_security.html index fc9cb0b..fc631bf 100644 --- a/docs/howtos/x60_security.html +++ 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> |