Rowhammer-like attack on SSDs can provide root privileges to attacker

Re:Rowhammer-like attack on SSDs can provide root privileges... by userbinator on Wednesday August 16, 2017 @09:18PM (#15032891)

The main point this paper makes and demonstrates is that if you can cause corruption of a full block (i.e., completely garble contents of a chosen block), then you can elevate privileges (with some assumptions, like using ext3).

That's an entirely unsurprising fact, especially if you've ever played around with cracking/patching. A single-bit change in the right place is sufficient to turn an "are you root/registered/privileged/etc.?" check into its negation. This isn't anything novel or unexpected to anyone who knows how software works.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Rowhammer-like attack on SSDs can provide root privileges... by fulafel on Thursday August 17, 2017 @12:50AM (#15033885)

This is not about having control over the changes (flipping a bit in a file, say), but rather about random corruption.

Also this is not a journal paper, this is a workshop (Usenix "Workshop on Offensive Technologies") which is meant as a kind of get together of academics and practical/industry guys. So just demonstrating an "theoretically obvious" exploit would be fine content for that venue, especially if it's not been academically documented before.

[ Parent | on HN ]