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Thread: Can you harm 'hardware' remotely?

  1. #1
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    Talking Can you harm 'hardware' remotely?

    Hi to all!
    Well this question is a bit weird. Also i dont have any bad motives i just ask that from curiosity..
    Till now i knew that you can harm somebody's 'software' (data,applications,programs) remotely...but even the worst nightmare would end with a good format...is there any way to harm somebody's computer and when saying computer i mean the processor,motherboard,etc? For example could there be any program to cause the pc to overheat or anything else?Also, can the BIOS be harmed remotely? These questions are strictly asked from curiosity...(and maybe they are stupid!)

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    I would also love to hear the replies to this. I have thought about this before (Not doing it, just wondering). I am guessing at best someone could re-configure some hardware...? In for replies!

  3. #3
    AO Decepticon CXGJarrod's Avatar
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    The worst I have heard is that you could flash the BIOS..... Someone just had a discussion about this on AO, but I cant find it.
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    Originally posted here by CXGJarrod
    The worst I have heard is that you could flash the BIOS..... Someone just had a discussion about this on AO, but I cant find it.
    Ahh.. I was about to mention that.

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    i havn`t heard of ways to do this through exploits or the like, If my memory serves me right i`ve heard of virus`s that over right the BIOS. Also dont quote me on this but i`m sure i once read about a virus that somehow damages the hard drive.

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    There were some DOS based virii/trojans that would damage the early reprogrammable bios chips. With any NT based OS it would be much harder to damage the actual hardware/bios through a virus due to the way the kernel works.

    As for damaging a machine remotely... Doing it through an application more than likely would not work. I guess you could come up with some strange circumstances that would allow it to work, but it would not work in all cases. For instance, you could write a program that would cause a CPU to sit at 100% utilization in an attempt to burn out the chip/mobo, but if the computer had excellent cooling or any type of overheat protection(which is very common) it wouldn't work.

    The government however does have RF weapons that can cause damage to electronics at a distance. Look up tempest or RF weapons on google.

  7. #7
    I'd rather be fishing DjM's Avatar
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    Originally posted here by homenet
    i havn`t heard of ways to do this through exploits or the like, If my memory serves me right i`ve heard of virus`s that over right the BIOS. Also dont quote me on this but i`m sure i once read about a virus that somehow damages the hard drive.
    W95.CIH.1049 virus.

    This payload attacks the Flash BIOS (a part of your computer that initializes and manages the relationships and data flow between the system devices, including the hard drive, serial and parallel ports, and the keyboard) and tries to corrupt the data that is stored there. As a result, nothing may be displayed when you start the computer. To fix this requires the services of a computer technician.
    Full Info.

    Cheers:
    DjM

  8. #8
    AO übergeek phishphreek's Avatar
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    Beast.41472.A can also damnage hardware...

    Beast has a payload that causes the host machine's CD tray to open and close about once every ten seconds between approximately 9:00 pm and 7:00 am. This could quickly cause physical distress to the drive mechanism if left unchecked. Beast also closes the Visual Basic Editor window should they be open when the virus is active.
    http://www3.ca.com/virusinfo/virus.aspx?ID=3244

    The opening and closing of the CDRom over and over is sure to destroy it, over time.
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  9. #9
    I am thinking if a backdoor was installed, you could seriously mess up the functionality of your hardware by deleting all the device drivers.

  10. #10
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    In one of my advanced security classes I had heard my professor say 'If you try to use any of the stuff were learing on me I will re-act back and fry your motherboard' he was joking I think but it got me thinking and I looked into if that was possible.

    It is possible but very difficult and you have to know alot about the hardware of the machine you are attacking but basically you configure the hardware to overclock the cpu by some rediculous amount and eventually it will get so hot chips start sputtering and hardware is damaged.
    That which does not kill me makes me stronger -- Friedrich Nietzche

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