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Brazilian Breaks Secrecy of Brazil's E-Voting Machines With Van Eck Phreaking

Posted by timothy on from the old-ways-are-best dept.

After the report last week that Brazil's e-voting machines had withstood the scrutiny of a team of invited hackers, reader ateu writes with news that a hacker has shown that the Linux-based voting machines aren't perfectly safe; he was able to eavesdrop on them (translated from Portuguese) by means of Van Eck phreaking.

4 of 157 comments (clear)

  1. Physical Security by tetsukaze · · Score: 4, Interesting

    So the cheap devices he used only worked inches away. A more powerful device might work up to 20 meters away. Now, I assume a more powerful antennae is going to mean a bigger one. Isn't this going to stand out? I would hope that there is someone in charge that would notice a foot long antennae being pointed at voting areas. You can secure the machine itself, but if you don't have real people doing their part, it doesn't matter how secure your voting machine is.

  2. Re:Honestly by robbak · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Several ideas. Of course, use LCDs, as the CRT circuitry is the bad one. Shield the data connections so they don't radiate too much. Make the connections that transmit unencrypted data short. Use low-contrast fonts, so the sharp edges do not cause large voltage (and therefore EMI) spikes. Randomise the low bits of data shown on the screen, so you create obfuscating noise.

    Maybe you have to go as far as have a white noise transmitter to mask what you cannot elimiate. Plenty of room to move. Good on them for having such a contest - it flushed out all the 'Ooh, I didn't think of that' problems.

    --
    Prediction for end of Universe #42: Fencepost error in Quantum_bogosort.cpp
  3. E-paper by MDMurphy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Besides all the shielding options, perhaps this is a good use for E-paper displays? The persistent nature of the display would minimize the constant refreshing. The slow screen response would be unlikely to be an issue with a ballot.

  4. Re:This happened with the Dutch in 2006 by RAMMS+EIN · · Score: 4, Interesting

    That's only part of the story.

    The voting machines were vulnerable to more than just eavesdropping, although eavesdropping was the official story from the government and also what most of the press was about.

    However, the voting machines have since been banned. The latest elections were held with paper and pencil. It's good that way.

    Now if people would only understand this ...

    --
    Please correct me if I got my facts wrong.