Re: Crackers can zap data off Palm Pilots

[InfoSec News <isn () C4I ORG>]

Forwarded by: Michael Carroll <CARROLLM () war wyeth com>

Personally, I think there's a greater threat from pickpockets stealing
the actual PDA then from someone "zapping the data" from the device.

"Warnings" like this seem a bit too much like overstatement of the
obvious and an attempt by @Stake to generate press.

Michael Carroll
Senior Network Analyst
Wyeth Lederle Vaccines



> > > InfoSec News <isn () C4I ORG> 01/20 3:26 AM >>>
http://www.vnunet.com/News/1116644

By Ian Lynch  [19 Jan 2001]

Security consultants @stake have added to the weight of expert opinion
that business use of PDAs such as a Palm Pilot may be a security risk.
@stake, a US-based security consultant, has written a piece of
software code that can zap passwords off targeted Palm Pilots through
taking advantage of the PDA's hotsync function. Hotsync is used to
transfer data between the user's PC and a Palm Pilot.

Called Notsync, the code fools the targeted Palm Pilot into thinking
it is talking to the user's desktop computer, rather than a hacker's
PDA. The hacker then downloads the target's password via the target
machine's infrared port.

Infrared ports have a range of 50cm to 100cm, but @stake said
amplifying systems can increase the range threefold.

The consultant said its Notsync code could be written by any competent
hacker, and is warning firms to make sure they know what company
information is being held on their employees' PDAs.

Notsync's author, Mudge, vice president of R&D at @Stake, said: "They
are completely vulnerable."

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