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LANTENNA: Exfiltrating Data from Air-Gapped Networks via Ethernet Cables

posted by martyb on Friday October 29 2021, @04:14PM   Printer-friendly

An Anonymous Coward writes:

Air-gapped networks are wired with Ethernet cables since wireless connections are strictly prohibited.

In this paper we present LANTENNA - a new type of electromagnetic attack allowing adversaries to leak sensitive data from isolated, air-gapped networks. Malicious code in air-gapped computers gathers sensitive data and then encodes it over radio waves emanating from the Ethernet cables, using them as antennas. A nearby receiving device can intercept the signals wirelessly, decode the data, and send it to the attacker. We discuss the exfiltration techniques, examine the covert channel characteristics, and provide implementation details. Notably, the malicious code can run in an ordinary user-mode process and successfully operate from within a virtual machine. We evaluate the covert channel in different scenarios and present a set of countermeasures. Our experiments show that with the LANTENNA attack, data can be exfiltrated from air-gapped computers to a distance of several meters away.

See LANtenna hack spies on your data from across the room! (Sort of) for a well-written (albeit a bit long) expansion of the report as well as some effective counter-measures.

Journal Reference:
Mordechai Guri. LANTENNA: Exfiltrating Data from Air-Gapped Networks via Ethernet Cables, (DOI: 10.1109/COMPSAC51774.2021.00106)

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 2, Interesting) by crotherm on Friday October 29 2021, @04:41PM (4 children)

    by crotherm (5427) on Friday October 29 2021, @04:41PM (#1191738)

    Unless I am missing something, why don't folks keep sensitive data in a properly built server room?

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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Friday October 29 2021, @04:55PM (1 child)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Friday October 29 2021, @04:55PM (#1191743) Homepage Journal

    Because no one keeps a coffee pot in the server room?

    --
    Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.

    • (Score: 5, Funny) by DannyB on Friday October 29 2021, @05:44PM

      by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Friday October 29 2021, @05:44PM (#1191754) Journal

      Then it would be better to use the cloud.

      --
      If you think a fertilized egg is a child but an immigrant child is not, please don't pretend your concerns are religious

  • (Score: 2) by Rosco P. Coltrane on Friday October 29 2021, @05:49PM (1 child)

    by Rosco P. Coltrane (4757) on Friday October 29 2021, @05:49PM (#1191757)

    Server room? Get with the times man. 21st century folks keep sensitive data in the cloud. It's that big invisible medium that exists somewhere where your data is 100% safe.