[Info-vax] Intel x86-64 Processor Design Security Vulnerability?

Stephen Hoffman seaohveh at hoffmanlabs.invalid
Tue Jan 2 22:18:15 EST 2018


On 2018-01-03 02:59:41 +0000, DaveFroble said:

> Do you really think they could get away with that?  Remember the Sony 
> root kit?   Someone will discover any such, and the vendor just might 
> go out of business.   Even Intel.  Trust is a hard thing to earn, and 
> oh so easy to lose.  Once lost, almost impossible to recover.

It's not always entirely clear what's a bug and what's a backdoor.

As for backdoors...

https://blog.cryptographyengineering.com/2017/12/19/the-strange-story-of-extended-random/ 

https://blog.cryptographyengineering.com/2015/12/22/on-juniper-backdoor/
http://defense-update.com/20120603_chinese-built-microprocessor-includes-programmable-backdoor.html 

http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~simha/preprint_oakland11.pdf
https://www.wired.com/2016/06/demonically-clever-backdoor-hides-inside-computer-chip/ 

Etc...


Then there've been discussions around deliberately adding backdoors 
into devices.

https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/apple-iphone-encryption-ted-lieu-fbi-court-order/ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crypto_AG#Compromised_machines


As for what might be done about this...

https://9to5mac.com/2016/03/23/apple-cloud-infrastructure-servers-snooping/
Etc.
OpenVMS itself and absent third-party add-on tools, is incapable of 
detecting modifications.  This whether accidental or malicious.





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Pure Personal Opinion | HoffmanLabs LLC 




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