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Beware the Haunted Cordless keyboard

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the you-can't-make-this-stuff-up dept.

dr. greenthumb writes "The norwegian newspaper Aftenposten reports about an incident where a computer suddenly seemed to develop a life of its own. A game which the user could not remember using that day suddenly appeared on the screen. When he went over to shut it off the screen displayed a message asking him if he "really wanted to delete this file?" His computer was receiving keystrokes from another computer (with the same type of wireless keyboard) 150 metres away! Check out the full story and a follow-up, where experts warns against using wireless keyboards." /me plans to destroy Hemos' sanity...

5 of 285 comments (clear)

  1. SecurityFocus Discussed This by Xenographic · · Score: 5, Informative

    Wireless keyboards have other security issues. Read up on the discussion that took place about this on SecurityFocus: http://online.securityfocus.com/archive/82/173944

  2. Re:see why... by PunchMonkey · · Score: 5, Informative

    I like having a cord on my mouse and keyboard because 1) i know it's connected and 2) i know another isn't. Wireless keyboards etc. have no less a security risk...

    Don't place too much confidence in the security of your keyboard, someone might slip one of these on.

    --
    I'll have something intelligent to add one of these days...
  3. Re:FCC wont let me be by lostchicken · · Score: 5, Informative

    To be more complete, a Part 15 device is a secondary (or tertiary, if there is already a secondary) user of the entire radio frequency spectrum. That means that they can use the RF spectrum, as long as they don't cause harmful interference to a user with higher priority.

    That means that if your device is hurting my ham radio operations on 146.880 MHz, then I sic the FCC on you, but if I interfere with you, I have primary user rights, so you're outta luck.

    The primary, secondary, etc. system is just a pecking order for RF users. You can interfere with those with higer priority all you want, but Part 15 is always at the bottom.

    --
    -twb
  4. Bluetooth is much better by g4dget · · Score: 3, Informative

    Bluetooth security may not be perfect, but it's a whole lot better than this. Bluetooth devices are paired and can encrypt their communications. Furthermore, setting up Bluetooth security is much simpler than setting up 802.11b security, and many devices will simply not work unless the end user does. If all wireless keyboards switched to a proper Bluetooth implementation, security would be a whole lot better than with these random RF hacks.

  5. Logitech Encryption Driver Releases by handsomepete · · Score: 3, Informative
    This release includes an encryption feature for the Cordless Freedom(TM) Optical and Cordless Freedom(TM) iTouch(TM) keyboards only.
    You can snag 'em here. No Linux, and there appears to be only an encryption free version for OSX. Looks like the above are the only types of keyboards that support it.

    Now, will someone please explain to me how updating drivers for a 3 year old wireless keyboard will encrypt the path from the keyboard to the receiver? I'm honestly asking, because I don't get it. Or does it only work for recent revisions of these keyboards? I don't think this wasn't a part of the drivers when I bought it a couple years ago. I tried to ask LISA, their magical online support, but all I got was:
    "LISA I found no items pertaining to 'encryption'."