Indestructible malware by Equation cyberspies is out there – but don’t panic (yet)
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This is one of the long-anticipated scary stories in computer security – an incurable virus that persists in computer hardware forever (...) However, we want to lower the level of drama. This ability will remain as rare as pandas walking across the street.
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don’t rush to find your screwdriver – we don’t expect this ultimate infection ability to become mainstream. Even the Equation group itself probably only used it a few times, as HDD infector module is extremely rare on victim’s systems. For starters, hard drive reprogramming is much more complex than writing, let’s say, Windows software. Each hard drive model is unique and it is very expensive and painstaking to develop an alternative firmware. A hacker must obtain the hard drive vendor’s internal documentation (which is nearly impossible), purchase some drives of the exact same model, develop and test required functionality, and squeeze malicious routines into existing firmware, all while keeping its original functions. This is very high profile engineering which requires months of development and millions in investment. That’s why it’s not feasible to use this kind of stealth technologies in criminal malware or even most targeted attacks.
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So, the practical outcome of the story is – HDD-infecting malware is not a legend anymore, but the average individual isn’t at risk. Don’t slam your drives with a hammer, unless you work in Iran’s nuclear industry. Pay more attention to less exciting, but more probable, risks like being hacked because of bad passwords or an outdated antivirus.
Le constructeur, le firmware et l'espion
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Envoyé par max22bis
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