Unsupervised Learning: No. 187
Unsupervised Learning22 Heinä 2019

Unsupervised Learning: No. 187

Lots of people in the security community went silly over the FaceApp application last week, basically saying that you shouldn't be using the application because they'll steal your face and then be able to impersonate you. Oh, and then it turned out to be a Russian company who put out the application, and that made it 100x worse. The problem here is the lack of Threat Model Thinking. When it comes to election security, propaganda discussions, etc., I am quite concerned about Putin's willingness and ability to harm our country's cohesion through memes and social media. But that does not extend to some random company stealing faces. Why? Because before you can get legitimately concerned about something, you have to be able to describe a threat scenario in which that thing becomes dangerous. As I talked about in this piece, pictures of your face are not the same as your face when it comes to biometric authentication. There's a reason companies need a specific device, combined with their custom algorithm, in order to enroll you in a facial identification system. They scan you in a very specific way and then store your data (which is just a representation, not your actual face) in a very specific way. Then they need to use that same exact system to scan you again, so they can compare the two representations to each other. That isn't happening with random apps that have pictures of you. And even if that were the case, they could just get your face off your social media, where those same people who are worried are more than happy to take selfies, put their pictures on profile pictures, and make sure as many people see them as possible. There are actual negative things that can be done with images (like making Deepfakes of you), and that will get easier over time, but the defense for that is to have zero pictures of you…anywhere. And once again you have to ask who would be doing that to you, and why. Bottom line: authentication systems take special effort to try to ensure that the input given is the same as the enrollment item, e.g., (face, fingerprint, etc.), so it will not be easy any time soon to go from a random picture to something that can full a face scanner or fingerprint reader at the airport. People reading this probably already know this, but spread the word: threat modeling is one of our best tools for removing emotion from risk management.

A contractor named SyTech that does work with Russian FSB has been breached, resulting in the release of 7.5TB of data on the FSB's various projects. This is obviously embarrassing for SyTech and the FSB, but the leaked projects focused on de-anonymization, spying on Russian businesses, and the project to break Russia away from the Internet, which are all known and expected efforts. So there don't seem to be any big reveals as a result of the leak. More

Someone discovered that a bunch of browser extensions were reading things they shouldn't be, and sending them out to places they shouldn't be. This is not surprising to me. Chrome extensions are like Android apps, which should tell you all you need to know about installing random ones that seem interesting. My policy on browser extensions is extremely strict for this reason. People need to understand how insane the entire idea of the modern web is. We're visiting URLs that are executing code on our machines. And not just code from that website, but code from thousands of other websites in an average browsing session. It's a garbage fire. And the only defense really is to question how much you trust your browser, your operating system, and the original site you're visiting. But even then you're still exposing yourself to significant and continuously-evolving risk when you run around clicking things online. And the worst possible thing you can do in this situation is install more functionality, which gives more parties, more access, to that giant stack of assumptions you're making just by using a web browser. The best possible stance is to have as few people possible with access to your particular dumpster. And that means installing as few highly-vetted add-ons as possible. More

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Take 1 Security Podcast: Episode 19

Take 1 Security Podcast: Episode 19

Topics for this episode: News and analysis * [ ] A couple of months into my job with IOActive * [ ] Paris Attacks: resilience vs. prevention * [ ] Updating the OWASP IoT Project (no longer the Top 10) It’s an umbrella project. * [ ] Adding to the IoT project the SCADA Top 10 List (read the list), and Nabil Ouchn is going to be project leader on that project * [ ] Pentagon farms coding to Russia * [ ] Crypto email service pays ransom, gets taken out anyway * [ ] Blackout Europe shows vulnerabilities in LTE. Forced leak of location within 2-KM radius. Were also able to block LTE and force 3G or 2G. * [ ] Onapsis talks SAP HANA vulnerabilities. They’re config issues, and aren’t patchable, and include: remote file writes, remote directory deletions, moving files to where they can be access remotely, remote command execution, and remote python execution. To fix, you have to upgrade to the latest version and reconfigure your system. Also two issues with the database that allow HTTP RCE and SQL RCE. * [ ] TPP : how did we even get an agreement that was secret in the first place. Forget the details. This should never be allowed to happen again * [ ] Linux ransomware now hitting websites (broken by Brian Krebs) * [ ] Linux.Encoder.1 has a predictable key for its ransomware, and a tool was released to decrypt victims’ systems. Good to know that even attackers make dumb encryption implementation mistakes. * [ ] Visio smart tracking turned on for 10 million users. Here was the pitch “revolutionary shift across all screens that brings measurability, relevancy and personalization to the consumer like never before!” * [ ] Ring-0 theory of devops: history of the o-ring. Small thing that everything else depends on. for serial tasks you need A players to have an A process. As you lower the whole thing tumbles down * [ ] The Chinese Great Cannon: so we know about the Great Firewall, now learn about the Great Cannon * [ ] Must read article: What ISIS Really Wants, by the Atlantic * [ ] Two must follows: Gunnar Peterson, and Benedict Evans. Gunnar is brilliant in security, and Benedict works for Adresesen Horowitz Updates and announcements * Hit me up at IOActive if you have any security consulting needs. Notes * The intro track is from one of my favorite EDM artists: Zomby. The song is ‘Orion’, and it’s from the ‘With Love’ album. Highly recommended if you like chill EDM. * It’s better to listen via iTunes or with the player embedded above, but you can also download the sound file directly. Become a Member: https://danielmiessler.com/upgradeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

16 Marras 201531min

Take 1 Security Podcast: Episode 18

Take 1 Security Podcast: Episode 18

Topics for this episode: News and analysis * Sonar framework * Schneider Electric SCADA issues revealed at DEFCON * Ashley Madison hack, extortion will become more common, passwords added to SecLists * Hackers attack PR firm and manipulate stocks * Uber is quadrupling their security staff in 2015 * Android vulnerabilities lately Ideas and commentary * Business-based hacking: extortion-based hacking, ransomware, prediction-based hacking, PR releases, etc. Find the leverage, then execute the hack * My problem with threat intelligence * Optimal playlists for getting work done: baroque, no words, medium volume, 60 beats per minute * Ambient sound as two-factor, which goes to my idea of continuous authentication * How standardization and insurance will change security * Miller (mlr) is like sed, awk, join, cut, and sort, but for name:index data such as CSV * Participation in the OWASP IoT Project, Sasa Zdjelar is going to work on an IOT disposition project, Digicert is possibly working on a secure updates project, and we welcome others to add to the mix Updates and announcements * Vegas conferences: two talks, Blackhat Arsenal, DEFCON talk on IoT Attack Surface Areas, Caparser release * If you’re into IoT, be sure to check out Craig Smith’s podcast at IoT Weekly, and Bruce Sinclair’s IoT podcast as well * SecLists has been reorganized, go check it out * Kali Linux 2.0 is out: new kernel, based on debian, rolling release, go get it Notes * The intro track is from one of my favorite EDM artists: Zomby. The song is ‘Orion’, and it’s from the ‘With Love’ album. Highly recommended if you like chill EDM. Become a Member: https://danielmiessler.com/upgradeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

25 Elo 201526min

Mr. Robot Episode 3 Review

Mr. Robot Episode 3 Review

[ NOTE: There are spoilers below, not just for this episode but for the show in general. ] Enough people have asked me to start doing reviews of Mr. Robot episodes that I’m going to have a go at it. The deciding factor was the fact that I had such a strong desire to write during the third episode. I’m going to start here with thoughts on the show in general, not just on episode 3. Mr. Robot in general The character The main protagonist is an interesting character. He is what the writer evidently wants to capture, or actually believes to be, the template for a true hacker, which is highly damaged. I am quite struck with the focus that is placed on how truly messed up he is. He has major drama with the way his father was killed. He largely hates society. He has deep personal depression. And he’s a user of narcotics. I’m left thinking along the lines of a Hemingway type of artist, where the best creativity (in this case hacking) comes from those wo are the most tortured internally. Painters, musicians, etc. We’re familiar with the template. This redeeming qualities, which the writers take equal efforts to highlight, are the desire to protect people, his love for the blonde girl, and a general but understated willingness to fight back against the soul-crushing force of our modern, consumerist society. I really enjoy how he is only actually going to see his psychiatrist because he’s trying to help her, and if she’s actually going to help him it’ll kind of be on accident. He deeply analyzes people and sees if they’re good, or weak, or in need of help, and then if they are he kind of hates them less because of this. And he is willing to use his superpowers to help them as a result, like when he pushed that guy out of his psychiatrist’s life. The tech Before going into the various problems, it must be said that the information security writing has been exemplary. I’d say definitely the best we’ve seen in either movies or “television” (whatever that is). That said, there are a number of missing links in the armor. On one of the first episodes, possibly the first, I noticed an IP address with a final octet in the 300’s. That’s just an editing miss, but it did take me out of the fantasy. In Episode 2, which I generally didn’t like, I was quite bothered by the destruction scene. Here’s what I think happened there. They wanted to do a destruction scene, they had it all rigged up, and they wrote the story so that he’d do a quick hack and then get spooked enough to do it. Then they show the infosec writer(s) the story component and they’re like, Um, no. There’s no way anyone of this skill level would be hacking from his actual IP address. And they’re like, Well, we need to do this scene. Most people will miss that, and the scene will be cool enough to make up for it. So the writer stomps out of the room mumbling about how they shouldn’t have hired him for authenticity if they were going to make such obvious mistakes, and they go with it. Who knows if that really happened, but that’s how I imagine it. Comments on modern society I also find the comments on modern society to be quite interesting. I think it’s a big part of the whole hacker feel. Hackers have always had this component to their mystique. Being counter-culture. Being underground. Fighting against the man. So the idea that everything is a conspiracy with the rich exploiting the poor, the strong exploiting the weak, and everything being about selling advertising and the dominance o...Become a Member: https://danielmiessler.com/upgradeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

19 Heinä 201518min

Take 1 Security Podcast: Episode 17

Take 1 Security Podcast: Episode 17

Topics for this episode: Announcements * [ ] New desk, new mic setup News * [ ] SSL vuln spoofing issue, requires mitm * [ ] Sleepy puppy XSS Payload Management Framework * [ ] Troy Hunt on tech presentations * [ ] Stock market attacked and taken down. Anonymous warned about it beforehand * [ ] OPM goes to 21.5 million cards; director steps down * [ ] People need to get fired for this stuff; it’s the only way anyone will care enough to do anything * [ ] National Guard announces data breach Commentary * [ ] Mr. Robot * [ ] Splunk buys Caspida * [ ] Securing web session ids, by Eran Hammer Notes * The intro track is from one of my favorite EDM artists: Zomby. The song is ‘Orion’, and it’s from the ‘With Love’ album. Highly recommended if you like chill EDM. Become a Member: https://danielmiessler.com/upgradeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12 Heinä 201525min

Take 1 Security Podcast: Episode 16

Take 1 Security Podcast: Episode 16

Topics for this episode: * [ ] Hacking Team Hacked, show which oppressive governments bought their software * [ ] No exploits for non-jailbroken iPhone * [ ] The FBI spent 775K on Hacking Team software * [ ] Citi creating a digital currency, called Citicoin * [ ] Clinton attacking China on hacking, “Said they’re trying to hack into everything that doesn’t move.” * [ ] Eric Holder suggests that Snowden had a positive impact, and that an agreement could be reached * [ ] Critical bug in node.js patched that could lead to DoS * [ ] MasterCard looking to do facial scanning to authenticate purchases * [ ] FBI is offering 4.3 million for help finding top hackers * [ ] A petition for Ellen Pao to leave Reddit has topped 150K signatures Notes * The intro track is from one of my favorite EDM artists: Zomby. The song is ‘Orion’, and it’s from the ‘With Love’ album. Highly recommended if you like chill EDM. Become a Member: https://danielmiessler.com/upgradeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7 Heinä 20156min

Take 1 Security Podcast: Episode 15

Take 1 Security Podcast: Episode 15

Topics for this episode: * iOS flaw * The Chinese hacking campaign against the US * Breach at Recorded future * Hacking cars through key fobs * NSA/GCHQ hacking of people through security software * Snowden’s documents in the hands of the Chinese and Russians * Samsung re-enabling Windows Update * Mr. Robot * Blackhat/DEFCON Notes * The intro track is from one of my favorite EDM artists: Zomby. The song is ‘Orion’, and it’s from the ‘With Love’ album. Highly recommended if you like chill EDM. Become a Member: https://danielmiessler.com/upgradeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

29 Kesä 201514min

Take 1 Security Podcast: Episode 14

Take 1 Security Podcast: Episode 14

Notes * The intro track is from one of my favorite EDM artists: Zomby. The song is ‘Orion’, and it’s from the ‘With Love’ album. Highly recommended if you like chill EDM. Become a Member: https://danielmiessler.com/upgradeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

15 Kesä 201522min

Take 1 Security Podcast: Episode 13

Take 1 Security Podcast: Episode 13

Notes * The intro track is from one of my favorite EDM artists: Zomby. The song is ‘Orion’, and it’s from the ‘With Love’ album. Highly recommended if you like chill EDM. Become a Member: https://danielmiessler.com/upgradeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12 Kesä 201542min