[5681] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
RE: more re Encryption Technology Limits Eased
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Antonomasia)
Sun Sep 19 14:35:17 1999
Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 18:22:56 +0100
From: Antonomasia <ant@notatla.demon.co.uk>
Message-Id: <199909191722.SAA26157@notatla.demon.co.uk>
To: cryptography@c2.net
Jay Holovacs <holovacs@idt.net>:
> I would like to see some discussion of what are the actual possible CPU
> subversions. All the obvious subversions would seem to require a
> cooperating OS...
Pure speculation, but what if copying a certain 256-bit string caused the
program counter to pick up execution after that string ? Then practically
every program would have an exploitable buffer overflow detectable and
useable only by those with the secret key.
Combine that with disabling protected memory in the processor and all
those overflows are remote root exploits, perhaps triggered by a single
ICMP packet.
--
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