<html> <p><a href=„https://github.com/xoreaxeaxeax/rosenbridge“><img src=„https://cdn-blog.adafruit.com/uploads/2018/08/rosenbridge.gif“ alt=„“ class=„img-responsive“/></a></p> <p>In this 50-minute presentation (video below) from <a href=„https://www.blackhat.com/us-18/briefings/schedule/#god-mode-unlocked---hardware-backdoors-in-x86-cpus-10194“ rel=„noopener“ target=„_blank“>black hat USA 2018</a>, Christopher Domas discusses hardware backdoors in “some” x86 processors 😮 with special attention given to <a href=„https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VIA_C3“ rel=„noopener“ target=„_blank“>VIA C3 CPUs</a>.</p> <p>Thankfully he’s open-sourced all his research, including his <a href=„https://i.blackhat.com/us-18/Thu-August-9/us-18-Domas-God-Mode-Unlocked-Hardware-Backdoors-In-x86-CPUs.pdf“ rel=„noopener“ target=„_blank“>presentation slides</a>, <a href=„https://i.blackhat.com/us-18/Thu-August-9/us-18-Domas-God-Mode-Unlocked-Hardware-Backdoors-In-x86-CPUs-wp.pdf“ rel=„noopener“ target=„_blank“>white paper</a> discussing the topic, and crucially a <a href=„https://github.com/xoreaxeaxeax/rosenbridge“ rel=„noopener“ target=„_blank“>GitHub repo of the tools</a> used to test his theories.</p> <p>From the white paper,</p> <blockquote> <p><em>Abstract—As the complexity of x86 processors grows unbounded, the realities of the hidden and unexpected behaviors of these chips become apparent. While micro-architectural vulnerabilities such as speculative execution side channels are unsettling, more powerful, unknown capabilities remain buried deeper still. Here, we finally demonstrate what everyone has long feared but never proven: there are hardware backdoors in some x86 processors, and they’re buried deeper than we ever imagined possible.</em></p> </blockquote> <p><img src=„https://cdn-blog.adafruit.com/uploads/2018/08/x86.png“ alt=„“ class=„img-responsive“ srcset=„https://cdn-blog.adafruit.com/uploads/2018/08/x86.png 1371w, https://cdn-blog.adafruit.com/uploads/2018/08/x86-150x114.png 150w, https://cdn-blog.adafruit.com/uploads/2018/08/x86-300x228.png 300w, https://cdn-blog.adafruit.com/uploads/2018/08/x86-768x585.png 768w, https://cdn-blog.adafruit.com/uploads/2018/08/x86-600x457.png 600w, https://cdn-blog.adafruit.com/uploads/2018/08/x86-574x437.png 574w“ sizes=„(max-width: 1371px) 100vw, 1371px“/></p> <p><img src=„https://cdn-blog.adafruit.com/uploads/2018/08/msr.png“ alt=„“ class=„img-responsive“ srcset=„https://cdn-blog.adafruit.com/uploads/2018/08/msr.png 1488w, https://cdn-blog.adafruit.com/uploads/2018/08/msr-150x100.png 150w, https://cdn-blog.adafruit.com/uploads/2018/08/msr-300x201.png 300w, https://cdn-blog.adafruit.com/uploads/2018/08/msr-768x514.png 768w, https://cdn-blog.adafruit.com/uploads/2018/08/msr-600x401.png 600w, https://cdn-blog.adafruit.com/uploads/2018/08/msr-654x437.png 654w“ sizes=„(max-width: 1488px) 100vw, 1488px“/></p> <p><em><strong>Watch:</strong></em></p> <p><iframe width=„500“ height=„281“ src=„https://www.youtube.com/embed/_eSAF_qT_FY?feature=oembed“ frameborder=„0“ allow=„autoplay; encrypted-media“ allowfullscreen=„allowfullscreen“>[embedded content]</iframe></p> <div class=„ctx-subscribe-container ctx-personalization-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix“/> <div class=„ctx-social-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix“/> <div class=„ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix“/> </html>
