Security researchers have found a new way to siphon data out of an infected computer even when it has been physically disconnected from the Internet -- otherwise known as "air-gap" computers -- to prevent the leakage of sensitive information it stores, reports ArsTechnica. From the article:
The method has been dubbed "DiskFiltration" by its creators because it uses acoustic signals emitted from the hard drive of the air-gapped computer being targeted. It works by manipulating the movements of the hard drive's actuator, which is the mechanical arm that accesses specific parts of a disk platter so heads attached to the actuator can read or write data. By using so-called seek operations that move the actuator in very specific ways, it can generate sounds that transfer passwords, cryptographic keys, and other sensitive data stored on the computer to a nearby microphone. The technique has a range of six feet and a speed of 180 bits per minute, fast enough to steal a 4,096-bit key in about 25 minutes.
Considering that people play music
By Z00L00K
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2016-Aug-12 10:02
• Score: 4, Interesting
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Considering that people play music with floppy drives then the ability to transfer information acoustically with hard drives isn't really different.
pointless stupidity
By iggymanz
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2016-Aug-12 10:09
• Score: 3
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Of course, if I am allowed to install software on an "air-gapped" computer, I can make it transfer information by anything on it that makes noise or can be lit or even via power supply. Speakers, various fans, hard drive heads, retractable optical drive tray, locator blue LED, LCD display, even the power draw....I can manipulate all of those.
There is no point to these studies, they only belabor the obvious.
Any manager that makes some security policy based on such studies should be beaten.
Trivial to thwart.
By Lumpy
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2016-Aug-12 10:23
• Score: 3
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Wont work with my SSD. and honestly will not work at all on SAS drives. most places that are serious about their computing and security uses thin clients running SSD boot drives and the rack of servers are all the workstations. good luck recording the drive noises with all those fans and the libert unit running.
It may work if a target's cheap laptop is set on top of the microphone.