From 7eca665d684a734d55b0bb26c4f1831d399c5330 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Francis Rowe Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 18:33:00 -0400 Subject: 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) --- (limited to 'docs/howtos/x60_security.html') 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 @@
  • none (at least in the scope of the article as-is)
    • +

    + Rationale +

    +

    + 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. +

    +

    + 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 duty + to protect yourself, not only for your benefit but to make strong security normal so + that those who do need protection (and claim it) are a smaller target against the masses. +

    +

    + Even if there are levels of security beyond your ability (technically, financially and so on) + doing at least something (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. +

    +

    + 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). +

    +

    Disassembly

    @@ -58,7 +87,7 @@ If your model was WWAN, remove the simcard (check anyway):
    Uncover those 2 screws at the bottom:

    - SIM card is in the marked location:
    + SIM card (not present in the picture) is in the marked location:

    Replacement: USB dongle.

    @@ -99,9 +128,12 @@

    Remove the microphone (can desolder it, but you can also easily pull it off with you hands). Already removed here:

    - 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.
    - Replacement: external microphone on USB or line-in jack. + Rationale:
    + Another reason to remove the microphone: If your computer gets[1] 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). In other words, + the machine could already be compromised from the factory.

    @@ -114,13 +146,25 @@ Remove the speaker:

    Reason: combined with the microphone issue, this could be used to leak data.
    + If your computer gets[1] compromised, it can be used to + transmit data to nearby compromised devices. It's unknown if it can be + turned into a microphone[2].
    Replacement: headphones/speakers (line-out) or external DAC (USB).

    Remove the wlan (also remove wwan if you have it):

    - 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.
    + Wifi: 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.
    + Wwan (3d modem): 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.
    + Replacement: external USB wifi dongle. (or USB wwan/3g dongle; note, this has all the same privacy issues as mobile phones. wwan not recommended).

    @@ -139,7 +183,7 @@ or directly to the video: http://mirror.netcologne.de/CCC/congress/2013/webm/30c3-5529-en-Hardening_hardware_and_choosing_a_goodBIOS_webm.webm.

    - 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.

    @@ -158,8 +202,69 @@
  • General tips/advice and web links showing how to detect physical intrusions.
    • +
  • + For example: http://cs.tau.ac.il/~tromer/acoustic/ +
    • + + +

    + Extra notes +

    +

    + 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 (not yet written) 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[3]. +

    + +

    + Risk level +

    + +

    + References +

    +

    [1] physical access

    +

    + 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. +

    +

    [2] microphone

    +

    + 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. +

    +

    [3] Video (CCC)

    +

    + 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. + http://berlin.ftp.media.ccc.de/congress/2013/webm/30c3-5356-en-Firmware_Fat_Camp_webm.webm +

    +

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