Slashdot Mirror
Backdoor In RuggedOS Systems: Infrastructure, Military Systems Vulnerable
FhnuZoag writes "A backdoor has been found in Canadian based RuggedCom's 'Rugged Operating System', providing easy access to anyone with the devices's MAC address — something often publically displayed. Rugged OS is being used in a wide range of applications, including traffic control, power generation, and even U.S. Navy bases. The backdoor was first found over a year ago, and RuggedCom have so far refused to patch out the exploit."
The exploit is trivial: each device has a permanent "factory" user, and an automatically generated password derived from the MAC.
There's a difference between "Nothing is 100% secure" and "Why yes sir, I will lay out the welcoming mat for you".
Never play cards with a man called Doc. Never eat at a place called Mom's. Never sleep with a woman whose troubles are worse than your own.
Never trust an OS with the 'Rugged' in it's name.
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
Using this device would mean you would fail PCI-DSS and probably a few other widely used standards (ISO-27001 for example). One of the first requirements in these standards is that default vendor passwords be changed. You can't change it or even disable it.
Oolite: Elite-like game. For Mac, Linux and Windows
Looks like to exploit this, you need the MAC addrs.
1) One way is to be on the same LAN segment and watch a sniffer. This means you're already dead because you've lost physical security.
2) Another way is to telnet (FREAKING telnet in 2012?) into the device and the MAC is in the MOTD. This means you're already dead because you've lost all network security. What kind of madman allows telnet traffic thru a firewall in 2012? What kind of a madman allows unrestricted internet access to an embedded control device?
3) If you manage to somehow own a plain ole PC on a scada network, now you can own embedded control devices. But having an owned PC on your network means you're dead anyway.
I'm still struggling to figure out how a live, well run network could be in danger. What I mean is to implement this exploit takes a system that is already more screwed up than anything you could do with the exploit.
"Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
never get involved in a land war in Asia Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line
Also when the switch is flipped it should not perform its normal work.
That way it cannot be left in that mode.
It was supposed to be RiggedOS.
My other car is a 1984 Nark Avenger.
Never get involved in a software project where the team leader says either "agile" or "scrum" in every second sentence.
XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction