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18 Replies Last post: Mar 22, 2008 8:14 AM by DragonRiderIA 1 2 Previous Next

PCWorld

16,022 posts since
Aug 1, 2007

Mar 8, 2008 12:00 PM

Windows Hacked in Seconds via Firewire

Post your comments for Windows Hacked in Seconds via Firewire here

RastaMon

393 posts since
Sep 10, 2007

1. Mar 8, 2008 12:27 PM

in response to: PCWorld

Re: Windows Hacked in Seconds via Firewire

With the advent of the side channel attack defeating AES encryption, we have returned to the point that no machine is secure if the bad guys have physical access to the machine.

jtherrien

1 posts since
Dec 4, 2006

2. Mar 8, 2008 1:40 PM

in response to: PCWorld

Re: Windows Hacked in Seconds via Firewire

Interesting how the original article makes specific mention that this is on Windows XP and hasn't been tested on Vista, but the PC World article just says "Windows". Seriously, are you trying to insinuate that this affects Vista as well, even though the researcher only states that it works on XP?

Evildave

427 posts since
Jan 24, 2008

3. Mar 8, 2008 3:31 PM

in response to: PCWorld

Re: Windows Hacked in Seconds via Firewire

No machine ever has been secure if 'bad guys' could get at it. Encryption or not. Even with encryption and no 'hack' they can image your hard drive fairly quickly then take the data elsewhere to do a more time-consuming brute-force crack.

Even if the encryption were 'perfect' (and Microsoft has a long, long history of security that is far from that), it's absolutely no protection against data destruction that can be done logically (boot disks and/or flash) or physically (got a hammer?).

texaport

1 posts since
Mar 8, 2008

4. Mar 8, 2008 9:54 PM

in response to: PCWorld

Windows Hacked in Seconds via Firewire

Microsoft has always maintained that if someone has physical access to your equipment, that it isn't your equipment any more. One of their TEN TRVTHs or some excuse-making twaddle like that.

Yet another reason for my now ex-bank to stop running NT 4.x/5.x Microsoft software on their ATM machines.

VladTheImpaler1990

753 posts since
Jun 4, 2007

5. Mar 8, 2008 10:31 PM

in response to: PCWorld

Re: Windows Hacked in Seconds via Firewire

Hey guy can some one please explain the firewire, i am a bit uncertain about it. What is it, its not the same as a firewall right?

Thanks Vlad

RastaMon

393 posts since
Sep 10, 2007

6. Mar 9, 2008 12:30 AM

in response to: VladTheImpaler1990

Re: Windows Hacked in Seconds via Firewire

Hey guy can some one please explain the firewire, i am a bit uncertain about it. What is it, its not the same as a firewall right?

It's nothing like a firewall. It's more like USB.

FireWire is Apple's name for IEEE 1394. Sony calls it I.LINK, I believe. There are two common versions, FireWire 400 (aka IEEE 1394a) and FireWire 800 (aka IEEE 1394b). Note that both the "a" and the "b" also refer to different IEEE 1394 speeds, but they are not popularly implemented. 400 and 800 refer to the bandwidth in Mb/s. Compared to USB, FireWire is more efficient, operating with less system overhead. As a result, even though FireWire 400 is slower than USB 2.0 on paper, in practice it is generally faster, sometimes significantly so. In addition to data transfer, FireWire can be used for networking. I believe Microsoft dropped support for FireWire networking in Vista.

VladTheImpaler1990

753 posts since
Jun 4, 2007

7. Mar 9, 2008 4:09 AM

in response to: RastaMon

Re: Windows Hacked in Seconds via Firewire

Thanks Rasta Mon, great help now i know what it is.

Vlad

JimH443

99 posts since
May 6, 2007

8. Mar 9, 2008 12:43 PM

in response to: PCWorld

Re: Windows Hacked in Seconds via Firewire

"That's not a bug, it's an undocumented feature!"

Isn't this supposed to be a punch line??

Dermatea

2 posts since
Mar 5, 2008

9. Mar 9, 2008 1:40 PM

in response to: PCWorld

Re: Windows Hacked in Seconds via Firewire

I partly agree that if some baddie has physical access to your computer, the machine might as well be theirs. However, since this "hack" relies on a built-in feature of FireWire, wouldn't it be easier to guard against physical attacks using physical means? Like, what about putting a cover over your I/O ports which unlocks via fingerprint scanners and whatnot. Many laptops already have fingerprint scanners so why not PCs? And I don't think the baddies will try to pry it open in broad daylight, cuz' that's not conspicuous at all.

RastaMon

393 posts since
Sep 10, 2007

10. Mar 9, 2008 3:15 PM

in response to: Dermatea

Re: Windows Hacked in Seconds via Firewire

Fingerprint scanners for laptop security are overrated for real security. This is due to the fact that most laptops will have the appropriate fingerprint strewn all over its surfaces. While reproducing these fingerprints in the scanner is not trivial, its not exactly difficult, either.

If I was really concerned about data security on a laptop, I would store the local data on a RAID 0 LUN consisting of the internal drive (or a partition thereof) and an external drive connected via eSATA, and then make sure the external drive is never left with the laptop when the laptop is not in use or attended by its legitimate user.

Coaster

1 posts since
Oct 27, 2007

11. Mar 11, 2008 5:26 AM

in response to: PCWorld

Re: Windows Hacked in Seconds via Firewire

Well.....now that I know more about Firewire, I'd like to thank PC World and everyone that has posted comments on here. This community is awesome when needing more info.

As stated in one post, the person said that Vista doesn't have this feature. I sure hope that's true.

Coaster

RNR19952

259 posts since
Mar 7, 2007

12. Mar 11, 2008 9:00 AM

in response to: PCWorld

Re: Windows Hacked in Seconds via Firewire

Come on people
It is general knowledge that any windows machine can be hacked many different ways if you have physical access to the machine, also as someone else pointed out , just image it. I do not see what all the fuss is about? If I can touch it I can access it

rtfire1

199 posts since
Jan 24, 2008

13. Mar 11, 2008 10:22 AM

in response to: PCWorld

Re: Windows Hacked in Seconds via Firewire

its sad that myspace is more locked up then microsofts os (wounder if thats where the soft comes from). i have 4 xp pcs in the house right now one laptop 2 desktops and my xpm pc. I can hack in to the xp pcs no problem but for some reason the xpm the one time the password was change I could not get in to it, I had to wait for my bro to call me with the new pass.

787dreamliner

4 posts since
Oct 27, 2007

14. Mar 13, 2008 7:21 PM

in response to: PCWorld

Windows Hacked in Seconds via Firewire

To the hell with IEEE 1394..tip: since I hardly use FireWire, just fill the slots with wax.

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