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Wireless Keyboard "Encryption" Cracked

Posted by kdawson on from the hardly-needs-a-brute dept.

squidinkcalligraphy writes "While everyone is going on about wireless network security, it seems few have considered that increasingly common wireless keyboards can be vulnerable to eavesdropping. Particularly when the encryption is pitifully weak. All that's needed is a simple radio receiver, sound card, and a brute-force attack on the 8-bit encryption used. Passwords galore! Bluetooth, it seems, is safe for the moment."

10 of 232 comments (clear)

  1. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 4, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  2. Just Mess with the Listener! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's why I use ^H in my passwords ;)

    1. Re:Just Mess with the Listener! by Glonoinha · · Score: 3, Funny

      He uses a sound card as part of the decryption mechanism - use a ^G instead (so he can hear it go 'ding').

      --
      Glonoinha the MebiByte Slayer
  3. Re:Why a soundcard ! by MrNemesis · · Score: 3, Funny

    Why didn't they list their graphics cards? Surely you can't have a hacking session with power metal blaring in the background and not have a wall of monitors showing alpha-blended hexagons, otherwise none of the hacks will work...?

    I think this paper needs to be peer reviewed by Crash Override.

    --
    Moderation Total: -1 Troll, +3 Goat
  4. Re:Why a soundcard ! by iMaple · · Score: 1, Funny

    but was there any need to reply to that kind of retarded question? Why not just let him continue in his ignorance.. obviously he has no interest in knowing, otherwise he would have RTFA. Well, I didn't read the white paper, but I did RTFA and that doesn't mention anything why the sound card was used. And I assumed that the simple radio receiver was a simple pci card like radio device (I had a TV signal receiver card that u just digitized the TV signals and u could watch broadcast TV on your computer .. so I was thinking of that when I asked the question), for some reason I didn't realize that they meant a radio with a audio output. Does that make me a bit slow.. yes; ignorant/retarded ... maybe; but its not flamebait/troll as u are implying.
  5. Re:Under my desk by EatHam · · Score: 5, Funny

    After I added a lager (1/4 or 1/8 wave) antenna to my receiver, I could type with my keyboard outside the house.
    After I added a lager to my receiver, I also could type from outside the house, but when I finally went back in, the receiver was belligerent, and insisted on driving the car though it was in no state to do so.
  6. Antenna Crack? by smittyoneeach · · Score: 1, Funny

    Listen, Jack:
    Smooth your face
    Bounce signal back
    Lower power
    Avoids attack
    Burma Shave

    --
    Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
  7. Re:Gimme a break by Yvanhoe · · Score: 2, Funny

    Here in France, 3 years ago, the geek magazine "pirate mag" made fun of French military (Yes we also do that here) because they proudly announced the opening of their new "cyber-warfare strategical center" (or some other shiny words) and the picture that was given to every newspaper were two officers holding wireless keyboards in front of a flat display. The keyboard model was of course a very common one with absolutely no encryption.

    --
    The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
  8. Re:Under my desk by Big+Jason · · Score: 3, Funny

    You call that low?

  9. Re:Under my desk by Scootin159 · · Score: 2, Funny

    eh, you probably just bought yours.