found a new vulnerability in platinum secure for notebooks!

[lepricaun]

hi,

don't know if this is the right place for this, but move it if you want.

on notebooks with a smartcard, you'll need software to use that smartcard.
one of the software is platinum secure or platinum secret.

with this software i've found a vulnerability to get in to windows without the smartcard:

first you need to get the password and username for windows, if it's you're own, that's easy!!

next you'll have to login.

now you will get the message to enter you're smartcard, otherwise you can not use windows.

now press <ctrl>+<shift>+<esc> for the taskmgr.

now keep pressing the "windows"-key to let the taskmgr popup.

now you can get to the processlist and kill "pcard.exe".

after this the whole security is gone!


haven't got the time to check for which version this works, but i've got an new notebook and here it works!

also haven't contacted the vendor, since i don't think they can solve it that easy, cause the process is getting started after the login, so actually it is more of a windows problem then of platinum secure...


if anyone else uses this software, please let me know if you can do this too....

[mohaughn]

It is more than likely a configuration issue. For instance, if you are logged onto the machine as the administrator and the process is running as the administrator you will be able to kill the process. However, if you are logging onto the machine as a less privileged user than the process is running as, you will not be able to just kill it.

Honestly though. It doesn't sound like that smart card reader/program combination is giving you much security at all. If it is not linking into some base functions of how Windows works, which it doesn't sound like it is if you can just kill it, what is to keep you from starting the machine up with an NTFS bootdisk and removing the executable? Sounds like a very poorly coded application if security is what it is supposed to get you. Most of the time when I have seen these type of applications they are used to authenticate a user over a VPN tunnel.


A better smart card implementation on a laptop is one that does not allow the bios to load if the card is not present. Atleast that way you have to start pulling apart the system to get at the information that is stored therein. If you are encrypting your sensitive data, it means that the machine can only be used for spare parts as the machine won't boot without the smartcard.

[lepricaun]

you could also boot with a bootdisk yes, and i've found an even easier way: just keep holding down <ctrl>+<shift>+<esc> this will keep the taskmgr up!

this is a worthless security, but even if the system is blocked from booting with the smartcard, you could just as well put the hdd in another system and you'll have access to the data.

but this program should provide security, but just like you said, if you are admin ( which can be pretty easy to get) you can just kill the process.

So for all who have this software, DON'T TRUST IT! it not not secure!

b.t.w. the vendor is 360 degrees.