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Snowden leak: Cavium networking hardware may contain NSA backdoor

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131–140 of 628 posts

Re: Snowden leak: Cavium networking hardware may contain NSA backdoor

#131
post #6

The tweet seems to imply that the entire Ubiquiti Networks line of network hardware could be compromised. That's a shame; I was thinking of installing some in my house. I'm sure that Ubiquiti's customers will not be happy if they find out that the US Govt can access their private data.

In a world where local PD can kick my door in, shoot me in the face, and the news will report that I had it coming because I own a gun, I find it hard to care that the IC can burn a technical access backdoor to access my private data.

Re: Snowden leak: Cavium networking hardware may contain NSA backdoor

#132

How the NSA successfully manage to prevent the Washington Post and friends from discovering and reporting on this malicious backdoor? They've been sitting on these documents for a decade. Are the journalists just that *uncurious* about the deep contents of the documents they hold exclusive access to? Was this some kind of organizational failing?

Snowden leaked a shit ton of documents, the vast majority of which had absolutely nothing to do with any kind of NSA wrongdoing. Journalists then had to go through and try to figure out what these documents actually meant (which they frequently misunderstood). Obviously they're still doing it to today.

As a general rule when criminal conspiracies are taken to task, they don't retain a right to privacy for their communications that aren't about the criminal conspiracy. Rather it all comes out in court. I understand why Snowden released the way he did, and given how it kept attention on the subject for longer than Binney/Klein it was probably the right call. But there should have also been an escrow/intent to dump the whole trove raw after some time period.

Re: Snowden leak: Cavium networking hardware may contain NSA backdoor

#133
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think at this point it's pretty safe to assume that all of the well-known network hardware is compromised.

I wonder if MikroTik would be compromised- they’re Latvian and don’t necessarily have to bow to the NSA.

I assume by default that any hardware from any NATO nation is compromised by the NSA and other Western intelligence agencies. I also assume that any Chinese or Russian hardware is compromised by their respective intelligence agencies. And I assume that the NSA and other Western agencies are constantly trying to get backdoors into Chinese hardware (and I assume the Chinese are trying the do the same to ours). You're basically screwed no matter what.

Re: Snowden leak: Cavium networking hardware may contain NSA backdoor

#134
post #6

The tweet seems to imply that the entire Ubiquiti Networks line of network hardware could be compromised. That's a shame; I was thinking of installing some in my house. I'm sure that Ubiquiti's customers will not be happy if they find out that the US Govt can access their private data.

I'm currently replacing my network equipment with Mikrotik, not because I believe it to be safer than Ubiquity, but because then at least it's made in the EU. But now I'm thinking: Is it better that the US is spying on me in Europe, vs. having EU governments do it? I feel like I'd be somewhat more safe from the US, compared to if my own government decides to spy on me. Maybe I should look into Chilean network equipme…

Europe doesn’t make that many chips (unfortunately), chances are high there’s US/Chinese components in there too. Since your network hopefully sees mostly encrypted traffic anyway (even if you're running Plex on the LAN, that should use SSL), I‘d be more concerned about HW in desktops, notebooks and tablets.

Re: Snowden leak: Cavium networking hardware may contain NSA backdoor

#135
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think at this point it's pretty safe to assume that all of the well-known network hardware is compromised.

I wonder if MikroTik would be compromised- they’re Latvian and don’t necessarily have to bow to the NSA.

Why would the NSA need to strong arm MikroTik to implement a backdoor when they can pay ~10k for an 0-day to do the exact same thing?

Re: Snowden leak: Cavium networking hardware may contain NSA backdoor

#136
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

mainstream journalists are incredibly unreliable. it's absolutely clear to everyone that you cannot trust nyt and similar publications. i never read them anyway, and when I do come across articles on topics I'm knowledgeable about, i'm appalled by how wrong they are.

Modern journalists are just terminally online twitter heads. "Why go out or talk to anyone when I can just stay home and be on twitter all day!?!" It's the absolute worst outcome for journalism, and none of publications seem to care. If I had a publication the first thing I would do is ban twitter use (and probably go bankrupt because of it.)

publications probably encourage it so they can slash the operating budgets. if people are "staying at home on twitter all day", then they don't need office space. if they are willing to stay home to be on twitter all day, they are probably much younger less experienced/credentialed employee so they're cheaper too!

Re: Snowden leak: Cavium networking hardware may contain NSA backdoor

#137

Very impressive work by the NSA, if true. Both from a political and technical perspective. It's good to know that our intelligence services are doing what they're supposed to, and doing it well. However, as interesting as this revelation is, it's unfortunate that Snowden decided to defect to the Russians and share his stolen cache of top secret documents with them and China, using Western journalists as ideological c…

You can't hold it against someone that they don't want to be tortured/killed.

Re: Snowden leak: Cavium networking hardware may contain NSA backdoor

#140
post #40
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Huawei stuff is proven to be compromised, just not by NSA, instead by China.

Where is the proof?

Chinese law requires Huawei to cooperate with their intelligence agencies.
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