From 4c3d46238022f0c9955ae7e8b10c9f1716dd871a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Francis Rowe Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2015 04:14:49 -0500 Subject: Documentation: implement theme, drastically improve readability --- (limited to 'docs/security/x60_security.html') diff --git a/docs/security/x60_security.html b/docs/security/x60_security.html index c87c581..7b524c7 100644 --- a/docs/security/x60_security.html +++ b/docs/security/x60_security.html @@ -13,277 +13,301 @@ -
+

Security on the ThinkPad X60

- -
+

Hardware modifications to enhance security on the ThinkPad X60. This tutorial is incomplete at the time of writing.

+

Back to previous index

+ -

Or go back to main index

+
+

Table of Contents

+ +
-

Table of Contents

- +
+ +

Hardware requirements

+ -

Hardware requirements

- +

Software requirements

+ + +
-

Software requirements

- +
-

- Rationale -

-

- Most people think of security on the software side: the hardware is important aswell. - work. -

-

- 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). All of this is purely theoretical for the time being. -

+

+ Rationale +

+

+ Most people think of security on the software side: the hardware is important aswell. +

+

+ 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). All of this is purely theoretical for the time being. +

-

Disassembly

+

Disassembly

-

- Firstly remove the bluetooth (if your X60 has this):
- The marked screws are underneath those stickers (marked in those 3 locations at the bottom of the LCD assembly):
-
- Now gently pry off the bottom part of the front bezel, and the bluetooth module is on the left (easily removable):
-
-

+

+ Firstly remove the bluetooth (if your X60 has this):
+ The marked screws are underneath those stickers (marked in those 3 locations at the bottom of the LCD assembly):
+
+ Now gently pry off the bottom part of the front bezel, and the bluetooth module is on the left (easily removable):
+
+

-

- If your model was WWAN, remove the simcard (check anyway):
- Uncover those 2 screws at the bottom:
-
- SIM card (not present in the picture) is in the marked location:
-
- Replacement: USB dongle. -

+

+ If your model was WWAN, remove the simcard (check anyway):
+ Uncover those 2 screws at the bottom:
+
+ SIM card (not present in the picture) is in the marked location:
+
+ Replacement: USB dongle. +

-

- Now get into the motherboard. -

+

+ Now get into the motherboard. +

-

- Remove those screws:
- -

-

- Push the keyboard forward (carefully):
- -

-

- Lift the keyboard up and disconnect it from the board:
- -

-

- Grab the right-hand side of the chassis and force it off (gently) and pry up the rest of the chassis:
- -

-

- You should now have this:
- -

+

+ Remove those screws:
+ +

+

+ Push the keyboard forward (carefully):
+ +

+

+ Lift the keyboard up and disconnect it from the board:
+ +

+

+ Grab the right-hand side of the chassis and force it off (gently) and pry up the rest of the chassis:
+ +

+

+ You should now have this:
+ +

-

- The following is a summary of what you will remove (already done to this machine):
-
- Note: the blue lines represent antenna cables and modem cables. You don't need to remove these, but you can if you want - (to make it tidier after removing other parts). I removed the antenna wires, the modem jack, the modem cable and - also (on another model) a device inside the part where the wwan antenna goes (wasn't sure what it was, but I knew it wasn't needed). This is optional -

+

+ The following is a summary of what you will remove (already done to this machine):
+
+ Note: the blue lines represent antenna cables and modem cables. You don't need to remove these, but you can if you want + (to make it tidier after removing other parts). I removed the antenna wires, the modem jack, the modem cable and + also (on another model) a device inside the part where the wwan antenna goes (wasn't sure what it was, but I knew it wasn't needed). This is optional +

-

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

+

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

-

- Remove the modem:
-
- (useless, obsolete device) -

+

+ Remove the modem:
+
+ (useless, obsolete device) +

-

- 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 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.
- 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 X60s 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 - the 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). -

+

+ 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.
+ 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 X60s 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 + the 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). +

-

- Not covered yet: -

- +

+ Not covered yet: +

+ +

+ Go to http://media.ccc.de/browse/congress/2013/30C3_-_5529_-_en_-_saal_2_-_201312271830_-_hardening_hardware_and_choosing_a_goodbios_-_peter_stuge.html + 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 above. +

+ +

+ Also not covered yet: +

+ + +
+ +
+

+ Extra notes +

- Go to http://media.ccc.de/browse/congress/2013/30C3_-_5529_-_en_-_saal_2_-_201312271830_-_hardening_hardware_and_choosing_a_goodbios_-_peter_stuge.html - or directly to the video: http://mirror.netcologne.de/CCC/congress/2013/webm/30c3-5529-en-Hardening_hardware_and_choosing_a_goodBIOS_webm.webm. + 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].

- 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. + Intel 82573 Ethernet controller + on the X60 seems safe, according to Denis.

-

- Also not covered yet: -

- +
+ -

- 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]. -

-

- Intel 82573 Ethernet controller - on the X60 seems safe, according to Denis. -

- -

- Risk level -

+
+

+ Further reading material (software security) +

+
-

- Further reading material (software security) -

- +
+

+ 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 +

+
+
-

- 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 -

+
-
- -

- Copyright © 2014 Francis Rowe <info@gluglug.org.uk>
- This document is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License and all future versions. - A copy of the license can be found at ../license.txt. -

+

+ Copyright © 2014, 2015 Francis Rowe <info@gluglug.org.uk>
+ This document is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License and all future versions. + A copy of the license can be found at ../license.txt. +

-

- This document is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, - but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of - MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See ../license.txt for more information. -

+

+ This document is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, + but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of + MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See ../license.txt for more information. +

+ +
-- cgit v0.9.1