Interview With Researcher Who Cracked Security Of 70+ DVR Brands

Author: Brian Karas, Published on Jul 07, 2016

The researcher who found an exploit in 70+ brands of DVRs, which he suspected to be the entry point hackers used to gain access to several retailers, elaborated on these hacks to us.

We got in touch with Rotem Kerner, previously a security researcher at RSA, and now co-founder of security research company Cybewrite to discuss the exploitability of embedded security devices.

[***************]

Old **** ******* *** * ***** ******

****** **** **** ** ***** ************* ** ******** ******* **** routinely "****** ** *** **** **** *** * *** ** people *** ****** ** **** ****". ******** ** ***** ******** devices **** ***** ******* ** ***** *******, ******** ******* *** recorders *** *** **** ****** ** **** ***** ********, *** accessible ** ********, ****** ************* **** ********* ***** ***** ********.

Now ****** ********

*** ******* ******* *** *********** *******, ******** ******* **** ***-***** targets, ** ***** ** ***** *** **** *** *****. **** the ******* **** ** ** ****** ******* *** ********* ********** of ********-********* ******* **** **** ****** *********, *** ****, *******.

Worse ** ***** ******* ** ********

** ***** ******* ***** **** ** *** **** **** ****** and ******** **** ******* *** ************* *** **********. **** *** make *************** ***** ** *** ****** *********** ********** ** ***** brands/products ***** *** **** ******** ******** *********. ******* ****** ************* report ****** ******* ******* ** ******** ****** ****** *** ******* ****** ********.

How *************** *** *****

***** ***** ****** ** *********** ******** ******, *** ***** ***** like****************** **** *** **** ** *** *** ***** ** *** firmware. **** **** ******** ** *** ************ ********** ********** * ****** ************ *** **** ***** *** ****** ******** methods ******* *************** ************.

********* ** **** ** *** *** *****, ************* *** ******** ***** ********, **** ********* * ********* full ** ******/*****. **** ******* *** ** *********** ********* **** the ******* ** ******* ***** ** ******* ** ********* ** deployed ******* **** **** ** ******.

Two ****** ******* ** ******* ********

** ******* *** ** ********* ** * ****** ** ******* root ** ***** ****** ** * ***** ******* *** **** downloading **** ******** **** *** **** **** * ****** ******. This ****** ******** *** ****** ** ** **** ** *** network ****** ** *** **** (****** *******, ** **** *** internet). ** *** *** ******* ** ***** **** ** ** done ******* *** **** ****** ** ** ********, *** ********** the ******* ** ********** ******** ** ******* ******** ** ***** that *** ********** ********.

******* *** ** *** ** ******* **** * **** ** by ********* *** ******** *** *** ****** **** *** *** exploit ***** **, *** **** ********* **** ******** **** *** unit. **** *** **** ** **** ********, ** *** ****** can *** *** *** *** **** ** ******* *** ******** themselves. *** *** ** ******** * **** ** ******* *********** firmware ** ** **** *** ******** ********* *** ********, *** then **** ** ***** **** ******* ** **** **** *** manufacturers ******* ********** ********** * ******** ******.

Securing **** *******

** ** ********** ** ***** ****** * ****** ********* ** the ********, *** *** *** ****** **** ******* ** ****** by ********* ***** **********:

  1. ****** ******* *********, *** ********* ** *** ****** ****** **. Simply ******** "*****" ** "*****" **** **** **************** **************.
  2. **** ******** ******** ***** **** ************* ********, ***** **** **** not ********* ***** *** *** ***********, ** **** ****** *** chances ** ******* ***** ********.
  3. **** ******** ******* ** ******* *** ******** **** ***** ****, assuming **** *** ************ ** ******* ** **** ******** *******.
  4. ***** *** ** *********/******** **** *** ****** **** *********, ** better *** ***** ****** ******** ****** *** ******* *** ***.

** *** ********** ******** *************************, ********** ******** ****** ** ******* *** ****** **** ** exploit.

What ************* *** **

******** ****** *** *** ******** **** *** ******** ********** *** the **** ****** ******* ** *******. ******* ** ***** ****** is ****** ****** ** ********** *** *****, *** ** ***** used ** ******* ** **** ****** ** *** ******.

************ ******** ********* ******** ****** ************ ******* * ***** ****** vector. **** ******* ** *** ****** *** ********* ** ******** files ****** ********** ****, ******** ********* ** ****** ***** ******** images ***** *** **** ***** ******* **** *********** ******* ****** nodes.

********** *** ******** ***** *** **** **** ** **** ********* for ******* ** ********* **** *** ***** *** **** *** exploitable **********.

Comments (15)

Thumbnail image

Jon Dillabaugh

| 07/07/16 02:46pm

**** *******. ** ** *** ******* *** ******** *** **** practices, ***** ***** ** ***** **** ****** ** *********. *************, of ******, **** * ***** **** ****, *** *********** **** to ** ***** **** ***. **** ****'* ****** ** ******. Sometimes * ****** ***** ** ** ****** ******. *********** *** access ** **** ****** ****** ****** *** ********** ******* ** it ** *********.

Undisclosed 1

| 07/07/16 04:29pm

**** **!

******** ***** **** ******:

**** ******* *** ** *********** ********* **** *** ******* ** created ***** ** ******* ** ********* ** ******** ******* **** over ** ******...

** ******* *** ** ********* ** * ****** ** ******* root ** ***** ****** ** * ***** ******* *** **** downloading **** ******** **** *** **** **** * ****** ******.

***'* *** '*******' *** ******* ** '**** ****' ** *** first *****?

****** ** ** **** *** *** ******, "**** *** ** stolen ** ***** *** *** ** ***** *** ******."

Thumbnail brk1

Brian Karas

IPVM Admin | In reply to Undisclosed 1 | 07/07/16 04:42pm

***'* *** '*******' *** ******* ** '**** ****' ** *** first *****?

** **** *****, ***. ** **** **** * *** ********* more ** *** ******* ***** *** ********** **** **** *** uploaded ** *** ****** *** **** ******** ** *** ******. But **** *** *** ** ******* ****/***** ****** ** **** a **** ** *******.

Undisclosed 2

In reply to Undisclosed 1 | 07/07/16 04:43pm

***'* *** '*******' *** ******* ** '**** ****' ** *** first *****?

*********, *** ** * *** **, *** ******* ** **** unauthorized "****" ** *** ****. *** "*******" ** *** ******/****** you ****/**** (******* *********) ** * ****** ** ******* ************ access-often ********** *******.

Undisclosed 1

In reply to Undisclosed 2 | 07/07/16 05:26pm

*** "*******" ** *** ******/****** *** ****/**** (******* *********) ** a ****** ** ******* ************ ******-***** ********** *******.

********. ****** **** ***** ***** ** *** ****** ************* ** the **** '*******', * ***'* ***** **** ** *** ***** meaning ** *****-********.

*** ******** ** * *** * ***** ***** ******** ******* to **** **** ** * ****** *** **** * **** a *** ** *** *** ****** **** *******, *** ******* is ***** ***** ******** ******, *** ******* *****.

**** ***** *****, ***** ********* *** ******* ***** ** *** number ** ******, **** ***** ** **** **** *** *** root.

** **** ********** ****, *** ****** ** "******* ** *******" is ******* **** **** *** **** ****** ******. **** ** the ***** *******.

Undisclosed 2

| 07/07/16 04:47pm

**** *** *** ** *** *** *********** **** * ********** thought *** **** ********* *** **** *************. * ***** *** out ** **** *** *** ** ***** ** *** **** kind ** ******** ** ****.

jason oneal

| 07/08/16 11:41am

** ***** * *** ** **** ** * ****** *** already **** ***********? ** **** ********** *** **** ********* ** latest ******** ********* *** ***** **** ****** ** *** ******?

Thumbnail brk1

Brian Karas

IPVM Admin | In reply to jason oneal | 07/08/16 12:39pm

**** ** ** ********* ********.

*** ********* ******** ****** ** **** ***** ** ** *** to **** *** **** ** * ****** *** **** ***********, especially **** ** ***** ** ****** **** ******* ***** ***** like************* *** *** *******.

********** * ****** **** **** ***** ****-********** ******** ** **** cases, ** ***'* **** *** *** ***** ******** **** *** been *****.

*** **** **** ** **** *** **** ******* *** ******** contains * ******** *****, ********* ****** *** *** ********** *****/******** needed ** *** *** ****** ** ********. ********* **************** * ******** **** *** ********* *** *******. *******, **** like ************* ******** *** ** ***** ****** * ******** *******, so ***** ********* ******* ** *** ******* **** ************ ************* and ********** *** ********* ** *** ****** *****.

* ** *** ***** ** *** ** *** ***** ***** malware ******** ** ******* *** ********* ** ** *** ***** where ** *** ******* ****** * *****/******* *** * ******** upgrade, *** ** ** *********** ******** *** **** ** *****. Hopefully ** **** *** **** ******** ******** *** **** ******** implemented ** ************* ****** *** ******* *** ***** ** **** in **** ******.

Michael Henderson

| 07/12/16 03:24pm

*********** *** ****** ******, ***** ** ** **** ** **** selling *** *** *** **** *** ***** ********* ******* *** networks **** ****** ******** ** ****. *** ****, **** ***** we *** ******** ** ** ** *** *********.

*********** **** ** **** ***** ***** ********* *** ***** ******* the ******* ******** ** *** ********. ** *** ***** *** so ***** *********, ** ** **** ** ******* **** ****** to **** ****** ******** ********* ***** ***** ********.

Thumbnail image

Jon Dillabaugh

In reply to Michael Henderson | 07/12/16 03:36pm

***** * ***** ** ******* **** **** **********, * ***** like ** **** ***** ****** *** ****** **** ********, ** your *******?

Michael Henderson

| 07/12/16 03:47pm

** ***'* *** ******, *** **, *** *** *** ******* are ********. ******* **** *** *********' ** ****** *** ***** exploits, ********* ******** ********. ** *** *** ****** *****, * system **** ** *** ********* ** *** ********, ****** ** cases ** ******* *** ***********.

*******, ***** ****** **** ****** *** ***** * *** *** can **** ** ******** **** ******* *******, *** ** *** maintaining * ******** ** **** *** ******** *** ****.

******* **** ********* ***** ******** ** ****** ** ***** ********* exploits ** **** ** *** *** ********* *********** **** **** at **** ********* * ***.

Thumbnail image

Jon Dillabaugh

In reply to Michael Henderson | 07/12/16 04:02pm

*** *** **** ** ******** "********* ***'* ******** ** ****** to ***** ********* ********" ** **** *** ***'*?

Michael Henderson

In reply to Jon Dillabaugh | 07/12/16 05:32pm

**** *** *****, * *** ** **-******* **** **** **** due *********. * **** ******* * ****, *** ******* * do ***. *** ******* **** *********** ** ********* * **** in ***** *** ***** ** * ************ ********,.

Thumbnail image

Jon Dillabaugh

In reply to Michael Henderson | 07/12/16 06:04pm

******! :)

* ****** * **** ***** *****!

Michael Henderson

In reply to Jon Dillabaugh | 07/12/16 06:07pm

******** ****. ***** ** **** **** *******, *** * **** do *** **** **** ****.

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