Thread

Photon-Emission-Guided Laser Fault Injection Enables RP2350 Secure Debug

220 points · 92 comments · synack

stackghost · 1789752188 · focus · HN ↗
> The attack requires physical access, destructive preparation, and approximately $250,000 of laboratory equipment.
Not super practical, but neat attack
1. TZubiri · 1789755897 · focus · HN ↗
  It reads as impressive defense. Meaning that it's presumably not possible to get root with physical access on a live 50$ device without 250k capital
  1. Rohansi · 1789757882 · focus · HN ↗
    This is for a $1 microcontroller. I'm assuming you're talking about the Raspberry Pi computers based on the $50 cost and root.
    crote · 1789833599 · focus · HN ↗
    It's a $1 MCU, which will get embedded into a $50 device. If you're a company selling a cloud-plus-device product, then that 250k tooling cost and not-exactly-trivial attack process will be quite effective at stopping Chinese clones: with a unique per-device key there's no way they'll sell enough units to make a profit before you will inevitably ban their cloned key.
    TZubiri · 1789916212 · focus · HN ↗
    Well not chinese clones, those are well funded factories with state su subsidies, but it will definitely stop rogue individual hackers.
    It's not even 250k cost, just 250k capital, it can be rented.

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