Re: Gain root access on linux servers with physical access

[Gadi Evron <ge () linuxbox org>]

On Sat, 16 Dec 2006, Patrick wrote:
> spammailme () gmail com wrote:
> > All -
> >
> > I was wondering ideas on how to gain control of linux boxes with physical access to them in the hosting facility. 
> >
> > The owner has code on them yet never bothered monitoring or gaining root access and her developers are blackmailing 
> > her. She has access the the hosting facility and the servers and backup staff yet needs to regain control of the 
> > servers.
>
>    If she has physical access, then she does not need anything else 
> (other than a competent Linux person).

As a note... today statements such as (as I used to make as well) "once
you have physical access, the game is lost" are no longer true.

I divide them today by:
1. Limited-time physical access (implies #3 below).
2. Full physical access (take the machine apart).

and, if you like;
3. Surface physical access (touch the machine, don't disturb it inside the
box or power supply).

The difference is between using a USB drive to attack the machine when you
pass it by or clean the desk, to taking it apart and mounting the hard
drive to on separate box.

Using a boot disk is somewhere in the middle, which I consider #2 above
due to power-off/boot.

        Gadi.


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