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Automotive takeover schemes to be detailed at Defcon hacker conference
It's not like Toyota hasn't already faced its fair share of Prius braking issues, but it appears that even more headaches are headed its way at Defcon this week. Famed white hats Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek are preparing to unleash a 100-page paper at the annual hacker conference in Las Vegas, and notably, hacks that overtake both Toyota and Ford automotive systems will be positioned front and center. The information was gathered as part of a multi-month project that was funded by the US government, so it's important to note that the specifics of the exploits will not be revealed to the masses; they'll be given to the automakers so that they can patch things up before any ill-willed individuals discover it on their own. Using laptops patched into vehicular systems, the two were able to force a Prius to "brake suddenly at 80 miles an hour, jerk its steering wheel, and accelerate the engine," while they were also able to "disable the brakes of a Ford Escape traveling at very slow speeds." Of course, given just how computerized vehicles have become, it's hardly shocking to hear that they're now easier than ever to hack into. And look, if you're really freaked out, you could just invest in Google Glass and walk everywhere.
DARPA-backed Power Pwn is power strip by day, superhero hack machine by night
Call the Power Pwn the champion of white hat hacking. Underneath that Clark Kent power strip exterior, there's a Superman of full-scale breach testing that can push the limits of just about any company network, whether it takes 3G, Ethernet or WiFi to get there. Pwnie Express' stealthy sequel to the Pwn Plug ships with a Debian 6 instance of Linux whose handy hacking tools are as easy to launch as they are tough to detect. There's just one step needed to create a snoop-friendly Evil AP WiFi hotspot, and the box dodges around low-level NAC/802.1x/RADIUS network authentication without any help; in the same breath, it can easily leap into stealth mode and keeps an ongoing encrypted link to give do-gooders a real challenge. The hacker doesn't even need to be in the same ZIP code to crack a firewall or VPN -- the 3G link lets the Power Pwn take bash command-line instructions through SMS messages and doles out some of its feedback the same way. While the $1,295 device can theoretically be used for nefarious purposes, DARPA's blessing (and funding) should help keep the Power Pwn safely in the hands of security pros and thwart more than a few dastardly villains looking for weak networks.
Android Network Toolkit lets you exploit local machines at the push of a button
Defcon 2011 is in full hacking swing, and Itzhak Avraham -- "Zuk" for short -- and his company Zimperium have unveiled the Android Network Toolkit for easy hacking on the go. Need to find vulnerabilities on devices using nearby networks? The app, dubbed "Anti" for short, allows you to simply push a button to do things like search a WiFi network for potential targets, or even take control of a PC trojan-style. To do this, it seeks out weak spots in older software using known exploits, which means you may want to upgrade before hitting up public WiFi. According to Forbes, it's much like Firesheep, and Zuk refers to Anti as a "penetration tool for the masses." Apparently, his end-goal is to simplify "advanced" hacking and put it within pocket's reach, but he also hopes it'll be used mostly for good. Anti should be available via the Android Market this week for free, alongside a $10 "corporate upgrade." Consider yourself warned.
WhiteHat Security hacks into Chrome OS, exposes extension vulnerability at Black Hat
It's been a rough Black Hat conference for Google. First, FusionX used the company's homepage to pry into a host of SCADA systems, and now, a pair of experts have discovered a way to hack into Chrome OS. According to WhiteHat security researchers Matt Johansen and Kyle Osborn, one major issue is Google's vet-free app approval process, which leaves its Chrome Web Store susceptible to malicious extensions. But there are also vulnerabilities within native extensions, like ScratchPad -- a note-taking extension that stores data in Google Docs. Using a cross-site scripting injection, Johansen and Osborn were able to steal a user's contacts and cookies, which could give hackers access to other accounts, including Gmail. Big G quickly patched the hole after WhiteHat uncovered it earlier this year, but researchers told Black Hat's attendees that they've discovered similar vulnerabilities in other extensions, as well. In a statement, a Google spokesperson said, "This conversation is about the Web, not Chrome OS. Chromebooks raise security protections on computing hardware to new levels." The company went on to say that its laptops can ward off attacks better than most, thanks to "a carefully designed extensions model and the advanced security available through Chrome that many users and experts have embraced."
Researchers steal iPhone passwords in six minutes (video)
Losing your smarpthone is bad enough. But if you lose your iPhone and don't issue a remote wipe command (available for free with the Find My iPhone app) then you could find yourself in a world of hurt. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute Secure Information Technology (Fraunhofer SIT) can jailbreak and decrypt passwords from the iPhone's keychain -- for say, your Gmail account, corporate VPN, home WiFi, and MS Exchange -- in about six minutes using existing, known exploits. Sorry kids, your flimsy lockscreen passcode won't help. Video proof, after the break.
Video: Hacker war drives San Francisco cloning RFID passports
Think of it this way: Chris Paget just did you a service by hacking your passport and stealing your identity. Using a $250 Motorola RFID reader and antenna connected to his laptop, Chris recently drove around San Francisco reading RFID tags from passports, driver licenses, and other identity documents. In just 20 minutes, he found and cloned the passports of two very unaware US citizens. Fortunately, Chris wears a white hat; his video demonstration is meant to raise awareness to what he calls the unsuitability of RFID for tagging people. Specifically, he's hoping to help get the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative -- a homeland security project -- scrapped. Perhaps you'll feel the same after watching his video posted after the break. Read -- Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Read -- RFID passports cloned
Janus Project PC can scan 300 WiFi networks at once
You've heard of black hat hackers and white hat hackers, but what about leather hat hackers? Meet the first: Kyle Williams. This creative genius has built the ultimate network hacking PC, the "Janus Project," which can focus its eight WiFi cards to break your standard WEP encryption in under five minutes. Beyond that, it can sniff 300 WiFi networks simultaneously, store and continuously encrypt all the data with AES 256-bit keys. In addition, the Janus Project has an instant off switch, which requires a USB key that has a 2000-bit passkey and a separate password to regain access. What's under the hood? Williams packed an Ubuntu Linux machine running on a 1.5GHz VIA C7 processor with an Acer 17-inch screen into that snazzy little rugged yellow box. Oh, and the closed case is waterproof too, in case you need to transport Janus Project on a whitewater raft to your next hacking hotspot. We don't doubt someone will.[Via The Raw Feed]
Automated penetration testing on the sly
Security minded Immunity corp is developing a wireless handheld device dubbed Silica, meant to help security professionals conduct mobile penetration, or pen, tests on the sly. The device is fitted with Bluetooth and WiFi and comes pre-loaded with hundreds of automated exploits to simulate a malicious attack. So instead of conspicuously setting up shop with a laptop and cantenna, the (hopefully) white hat hacker just slips the Silica into a pocket to scan every WiFi and Bluetooth device while strolling about the office, campus, or city streets. The device will then download "items of interest" from penetrated systems before connecting 'em to an external listening post -- good times! Immunity is currently beta testing Silica with hopes of launching the device for right around $3,000 in October... and then shortly thereafter on eBay. Let the warpenning begin!
HP dons white hat to hack customers' servers
Usually the term "hacking" has some rather negative connotations, so it almost seems counterintuitive to pay someone good money for breaking into your system, but that's exactly what HP is offering to do for its corporate customers with a new service called HP Active Countermeasures, or HPAC. As you'd imagine, HP's hackers won't do anything malicious once they break into a client's server -- propagating a worm, for instance, would seem to be bad for business -- but they will use a combination of buffer, heap, and stack overflows to exploit a system in much the same way that black hatters cause Internet terror on a daily basis. Specifically, the company will employ one of its own servers to launch attacks using eight to ten scanning clients for every 250,000 devices that are part of the program, and offer customers a temporary patch until they're able to hire a dedicated security firm for shoring up any vulnerabilities. Pricing is promised to be "aggressive," with firms using less than 20,000 IP addresses expected to pay only a few dollars per user per year for the privilege of learning how shoddy their security really is.[Via The Inquirer]
