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Misusing Ethernet To Kill Computer Infrastructure Dead
Some attacks on computers and networks are subtle; think Stuxnet. An anonymous reader writes with a report at Net Security of researcher Grigorios Fragkos's much more direct approach to compromising a network: zap the hardware from an unattended ethernet port with a jolt of electricity. Fragkos, noticing that many networks include links to scattered and unattended ethernet ports, started wondering whether those ports could be used to disrupt the active parts of the network. Turns out they can, and not just the ports they connect to directly: with some experimentation, he came up with a easily carried network zapping device powerful enough to send a spark to other attached devices, too, but not so powerful -- at least in his testing -- to set the building on fire. As he explains:
I set up a network switch, and over a 5 meters Ethernet cable I connected an old working laptop. Over a 3 meters cable I connected a network HDD and over a 100 meters cable I connected my “deathray” device. I decided to switch on the device and apply current for exactly 2 seconds. The result was scary and interesting as well. The network switch was burned instantly with a little “tsaf” noise. There was also a buzzing noise coming from the devices plugged-in to the network switch, for a less than a second. There was a tiny flash from the network HDD and the laptop stopped working. It is not the cheapest thing in the world to test this, as it took all of my old hardware I had in my attic to run these experiments. I believe the threat from such a high-voltage attack against a computer infrastructure is real and should be dealt with.
This sounds like something ripped right from the BOFH stories...
Fiber optic cable to all devices would nullify this sort of attack.
I set up a network switch, and over a 5 meters Ethernet cable I connected an old working laptop. Then I took my pen-testing device aka “hammer”. I decided to vigorously apply. the device to the switch and the laptop. The result was scary and interesting as well. The network switch was a heap of twisted metal after a lot of "banging" noise. It resisted the attack for considerable time due to hard metal shell. The laptop stopped working much faster, after only some application of the device. It is not the cheapest thing in the world to test this, but very satisfying. I believe the threat from such a blunt object attack against a computer infrastructure is real and should be dealt with.
The OP mentioned an "Ethernet Taser" being plugged into the wall to take out the security guards. Hence, you need POE to power that device
On this planet, we have electrical potential storage devices we call "batteries".
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
90% of people who use the term "best practice" are idiots that couldn't independently think their way out of a wet bag.