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Rootkits Head for Your BIOS
Artem Tashkinov wrote to mention a SecurityFocus article which discusses a disturbing new threat to computer security: Rootkits that target a computer's BIOS. From the article: "One rootkit expert at the conference predicted that the technology will become a fundamental part of rootkits in the near future. 'It is going to be about one month before malware comes out to take advantage of this,' said Greg Hoglund, a rootkit expert and CEO of reverse engineering firm HBGary. 'This is so easy to do. You have widely available tools, free compilers for the ACPI language, and high-level languages to write the code in.'" Update: 01/27 14:28 GMT by Z : John Heasman wrote with a link to the slide presentation on this topic given at the Black Hat Conference (pdf).
Where are such tools? If I knew such things existed, I would have experimented in "bricking" some of my machines YEARS ago
"When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
I've just switched to Macs after 17 years of PC ownership* (Dos, then Windows, then Linux). Boy, am I feeling smug right at this moment.
* I first typed 'ownershit' by mistake - Thinking about it, this might actually be a more accurate word to describe the joys of being a PC user.
It is going to be about one month before malware comes out to take advantage of this.
That's an extremely specific prediction. I think we know who they should look at first when these rootkits show up...
Developers: We can use your help.
I still have to explain to my parents that the box beside the monitor is actually the computer. They think it's built into the monitor.
-Eric
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
What about EFI?
What about OpenFirmware in my Sun machines with the PROM read-only jumper set ON?
; )
War crimes, torture, lies, illegal spying... Would someone give Bush a blowjob, already, so he can be impeached?
*ducks*
"Never 'clear the air'. Instead, investigate all the subtle nuances of the word 'fester'." - R. Candappa
Seeing as EFI supports drivers and that the OS is to sit on top of EFI any rootkits there could hide whatever they wanted from your OS....
Unless of course your OS exposes the EFI configuration and drivers too...
[)
[)amien
On the bright side, Sony Vio owners don't need to worry. Their BIOS comes pre-hacked, so there's no room for more malware!
"Live Free or Die." Don't like it? Then keep out of the USA
Now they are sending rootkits after my Electronic Fuel Injection too?
Joe Fourpack would flash the bios. All he would need is an e-mail instructing him that if he updates his computer by flipping this bios switch thingy and then clicking OK, he will be able to play the attached new pr0n file.
Note that Joe Fourpack is two short of a sixpack.
The price of freedom is eternal litigation.