Exposed SSH Key Means US Emergency Alert System Can Be Hacked

wiredmikey writes "Recently discovered security flaws in the Emergency Alerting System (EAS) which is widely used by TV and radio stations across the United States, has made the systems vulnerable to remote attack. The vulnerability stems from an SSH key that is hard-coded into DASDEC-I and DASDEC-II devices made by Monroe Electronics. Unless the default settings were altered during deployment, impacted systems are using a known key that could enable an attacker with full access if the systems are publicly faced or if they've already compromised the network. By exploiting the vulnerability, an attacker could disrupt a station's ability to transmit and/or could send out false emergency information. 'Earlier this year we were shown an example of an intrusion on the EAS when the Montana Television Network's regular programming was interrupted by news of a zombie apocalypse. Although there was no zombie apocalypse, it did highlight just how vulnerable the system is,' said Mike Davis, a principal research scientist at IOActive. The DHS issued an alert on the vulnerability, and IOActive, the firm that discovered the flaw, has published additional technical details (PDF) on the security issue."

Comments

for fucks sake people

[smash]

It's really not that hard.

1. Password protect your private keys!
2. don't listen to port 22 on the internet from anywhere. require VPN, ipsec tunnel, at the bare minimum, hosts.allow from a specific management network, or some other method to secure the connection first. security is layered, don't rely on a single authentication to give people to keys to the castle, or someone will fuck you
3. use multiple service accounts with least privilege access so compromise of one doesn't impact another

The fact that an emergency services network has been left in a state like this is bordering on.... no, IS criminal negligence.