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A low budget consumer hardware espionage implant (2018)

ha.cking.ch

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Re: A low budget consumer hardware espionage implant (2018)

#82
post #77

In screenshots he uses Signal messenger to talk to the device. How this was achieved?

Signal supports SMS as well.

Not since a couple of years ago, unfortunately. Now I have to use a separate app for SMS and often miss messages.

Re: A low budget consumer hardware espionage implant (2018)

#84

An even easier one would be a modified keyboard. Anyone could fit an esp32 into a keyboard, swap it out, leave it lying around, sniff keystrokes, access with Bluetooth or WiFi, could have it only have the radio on for certain windows in time etc.

Isn't it way easier to get a target to use a usb device than a keyboard

These days most keyboards are USB devices.

Re: A low budget consumer hardware espionage implant (2018)

#85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The caveat being that these things are only doing cell tower triangulation, and not even a good job of it. So all it will be able to tell you is that your car is somewhere on the east side of the city or so. Although you will be able to listen in on the conversations of the car thieves and might pick up a clue from that. Realistically, these are 100% for stalking/espionage.

I took the exact opposite conclusion from this information. How is it useful for stalking if it doesn't give more exact location? On the other hand if I'm looking for my own car that somebody took out of the city, this at least gives me a general idea of its location.

For stalking/espionage, approximate locations (especially which can be refined over long observation periods and combined with other data) are often fine. Patterns like when does someone leave for work, what shifts do they work, where do they go on weekends, etc can be quite apparent.

If your car is stolen, what good is knowing the general location?

Re: A low budget consumer hardware espionage implant (2018)

#86
post #30

An even easier one would be a modified keyboard. Anyone could fit an esp32 into a keyboard, swap it out, leave it lying around, sniff keystrokes, access with Bluetooth or WiFi, could have it only have the radio on for certain windows in time etc.

Hard part there is getting the wear and tear from oils in your hand to look identical. Although maybe most people don't pay attention to that.

The other thing that’s hard to get right is the weight.

Hard to find material in most things today to remove to even out the added weight of an implant.

Re: A low budget consumer hardware espionage implant (2018)

#87
Related:

Inside a low budget consumer hardware espionage implant (2018) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20190251 - June 2019 (43 comments)

Inside a low-budget consumer hardware espionage implant - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15676737 - Nov 2017 (92 comments)

Re: A low budget consumer hardware espionage implant (2018)

#88

I always wondered what if an SSD can surreptitiously funnel out the data it has on a secure channel, unbeknownst to the owner... Maybe all that would indicate the backdoor is some slight (?) change in the throughput speed.

If someone has physical access to a device containing secure information, you're already boned. Thankfully, very few people are targets of surveillance / espionage like that.

I mean it's built into silicon into all SSDs.

Re: A low budget consumer hardware espionage implant (2018)

#89
post #47

I always wondered what if an SSD can surreptitiously funnel out the data it has on a secure channel, unbeknownst to the owner... Maybe all that would indicate the backdoor is some slight (?) change in the throughput speed.

This is easily mitigated with full disk encryption.

You don't get it.

Re: A low budget consumer hardware espionage implant (2018)

#90
post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I took the exact opposite conclusion from this information. How is it useful for stalking if it doesn't give more exact location? On the other hand if I'm looking for my own car that somebody took out of the city, this at least gives me a general idea of its location.

For stalking/espionage, approximate locations (especially which can be refined over long observation periods and combined with other data) are often fine. Patterns like when does someone leave for work, what shifts do they work, where do they go on weekends, etc can be quite apparent. If your car is stolen, what good is knowing the general location?

Hmm, I guess my eurothinking is showing. I work and live within a 5 km radius. I guess in the US you can get much more useful that's even though it's approximate.

If my car is stolen and taken away, at least I can call that city/country police instead of waiting when it gets through the bureaucracy.

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