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The DARPA-Funded Power Strip That Will Hack Your Network

Posted by timothy on from the ok-but-how-is-it-powered? dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Power Pwn may look like a power strip, but it's actually a DARPA-funded hacking tool for launching remotely-activated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Ethernet attacks. If you see one around the office, make a point to ask if it's supposed to be there. Pwnie Express, which developed the $1,295 tool, says it's 'a fully-integrated enterprise-class penetration testing platform.' That's great, but the company also notes its 'ingenious form-factor' (again, look at the above picture) and 'highly-integrated/modular hardware design,' which to me makes it look like the perfect gizmo for nefarious purposes."

5 of 176 comments (clear)

  1. Made in China ? by Taco+Cowboy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Hopefully this strip is not made in China
     
    I'm crossing my fingers
     

    --
    Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
    1. Re:Made in China ? by Ashtead · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Hopefully this strip is not made in China I'm crossing my fingers

      According to the link from cryptome than an AC has provided further down here, the hardware is indeed mostly made in China. What makes this US made to the satisfaction of the government is that the software that makes this thing what it is, is made in the US, replacing all the original code.

      This document goes on at length about how that can be. As an EE, not a lawyer, I found the information that the "brain" is a SheevaPlug to be more interesting.

      --
      SIGBUS @ NO-07.308
  2. Translation by bashibazouk · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The opposition (who ever they may be) has figured out that we were using this device. Word has gotten out. We no longer need it. You may now do with it as you wish...

  3. And for the home amateur on a budget ... by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Get one of these: http://www.asus.com/Networks/Wireless_Routers/WL330N3G/. Hack OpenWrt to fit you needs, and flash the router with that. It's small and discrete enough to go unnoticed when set up and left somewhere, like behind a curtain, plugged into a forgotten Ethernet port in a wall somewhere. Power it with one of these: http://www.philips.co.in/c/cell-phone-accessories/universal-dlm2262_97/prd/.

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  4. Re:There is a perfectly logical explanation by Tastecicles · · Score: 5, Interesting

    When I have been around data installations, everything got marked and recorded - component boards, memory sticks, hard drives, cabinets, power strips, UPS bricks, cables, even down to any piece of plastic that could potentially house a small bug (such as three pin plugs, notwithstanding the fact that I insisted on using plugs that were moulded to the cable at both ends). During the regular hardware audits, every device, cable and connector was checked against the catalogue. Anything that didn't match up was ripped out immediately and replaced with a known quantity.

    If I didn't install it, it didn't belong.

    --
    Operation Guillotine is in effect.