One Article Review
| Source |  Errata Security |
|---|---|
| Identifiant | 1095316 |
| Date de publication | 2019-04-21 17:16:36 (vue: 2019-04-28 12:41:00) |
| Titre | Was it a Chinese spy or confused tourist? |
| Texte | Politico has an article from a former spy analyzing whether the "spy" they caught at Mar-a-lago (Trump's Florida vacation spot) was actually a "spy". I thought I'd add to it from a technical perspective about her malware, USB drives, phones, cash, and so on.The part that has gotten the most press is that she had a USB drive with evil malware. We've belittled the Secret Service agents who infected themselves, and we've used this as the most important reason to suspect she was a spy.But it's nonsense.It could be something significant, but we can't know that based on the details that have been reported. What the Secret Service reported was that it "started installing software". That's a symptom of a USB device installing drivers, not malware. Common USB devices, such as WiFi adapters, Bluetooth adapters, microSD readers, and 2FA keys look identical to flash drives, and when inserted into a computer, cause Windows to install drivers.Visual "installing files" is not a symptom of malware. When malware does its job right, there are no symptoms. It installs invisibly in the background. Thats the entire point of malware, that you don't know it's there. It's not to say there would be no visible evidence. A popular way of hacking desktops with USB drives is by emulating a keyboard/mouse that quickly types commands, which will cause some visual artifacts on the screen. It's just that "installing files" does not lend itself to malware as being the most likely explanation.That it was "malware" instead of something normal is just the standard trope that anything unexplained is proof of hackers/viruses. We have no evidence it was actually malware, and the evidence we do have suggests something other than malware.Lots of travelers carry wads of cash. I carry ten $100 bills with me, hidden in my luggage, for emergencies. I've been caught before when the credit card company fraud detection triggers in a foreign country leaving me with nothing. It's very distressing, hence cash.The Politico story mentioned the "spy" also has a U.S. bank account, and thus cash wasn't needed. Well, I carry that cash, too, for domestic travel. It's just not for international travel. In any case, the U.S. may have been just one stop on a multi-country itinerary. I've taken several "round the world" trips where I've just flown one direction, such as east, before getting back home. $8k is in the range of cash that such travelers carry.The same is true of phones and SIMs. Different countries have different frequencies and technologies. In the past, I've traveled with as many as three phones (US, Japan, Europe). It's gotten better with modern 4G phones, where my iPhone Xs should work everywhere. (Though it's likely going to diverge again with 5G, as the U.S. goes on a different path from the rest of the world.)The same is true with SIMs. In the past, you pretty much needed a different SIM for each country. Arrival in the airport meant going to the kiosk to get a SIM for $10. At the end of a long itinerary, I'd arrive home with several SIMs. These days, however, with so many "MVNOs", such as Google Fi, this is radically less necessary. However, the fact that the latest high-end phones all support dual-SIMs proves it's still an issue.Thus, the evidence so far is that of a normal traveler. If these SIMs/phones are indeed because of spying, we would need additional evidence. A quick analysis of the accounts associated with the SIMs and the of the contents of the phones should tells us if she's a traveler or spy.Normal travelers may be concerned about hidden cameras. There's this story from about Korean hotels filming guests, and this other one about |
| Envoyé | Oui |
| Condensat | $10 $100 $8k 000 100 2fa 300 ability about above account accounts actually adapters add additional addresses adequate again agents airbnb airport all almost also always analog analysis analyzing another any anything apparent are around arrival arrive article artifacts associated back background bank based because been before being belittled better bills binary bit bluetooth both broadcasts but camera cameras can card careful carry case cases cash caught cause chinese claim clue commands common company complete comprehension computer concerned conclusion confused confused/crazy constant contents conversation could countries country course credit curation daily days deaths desktops details detect detection detector detectors device devices different difficulties difficulty diplomats direction discussed distressing diverge does domestic don drive drivers drives dual each east emergencies emulating end english entire equipment essential europe event everything everywhere evidence evil except explained explanation fact false far files filming flash floods florida flown fluency foreign formal former fraud french frequencies frequently from functions german get getting glinting goes going google gotten guests hackers/viruses hacking had hand happened has have haven hence her hidden high hold home hotels how however identical important indeed individuals infected inserted install installing installs instead international invisibly iphone isn issue itinerary its itself japan job just key keyboard/mouse keys kiosk know korean lago language languages laptop large latest leaving lend lenses less level lies light like likely listening little load long look looking loss lots luggage mac makers malware many mar may meant mentioned microsd middle missed missing modern more most much mudslides multi mvnos name near nearly necessary need needed new news non nonsense normal not nothing off often old older one other paranoid part past path person perspective phones point pointing politico popular power press pretty problems proof proves push question quick quickly radically range readers reason recognize reported reporter reporters rest right round running salient same say says screen secret sections see seen service several she should significant sim sims sims/phones sitcoms skill skills software some something sounds speak speakers speaking spoke spot spy spying standard start started stop stories storms story such suggests support suspect symptom symptoms taken technical technologies tells ten than that thats themselves there these things those though thought three thus too tourist translators travel traveled traveler travelers tricks triggers trips trope true trump types understand understanding understood unexplained usb use used vacation varies very visible visual wads wasn watching way well what when where whether which who wifi wildly will windows without won word work world would yet you your |
| Tags | Malware |
| Stories | |
| Notes | |
| Move | 
|
L'article ne semble pas avoir été repris aprés sa publication.
L'article ne semble pas avoir été repris sur un précédent.