- cypherpunks - lists.cpunks.org

Fwd: Re: [Cryptography] "Flip Feng Shui: Hammering a Needle in the Software Stack"
by Georgi Guninski 04 Sep '16

04 Sep '16

----- Forwarded message from Georgi Guninski <guninski(a)guninski.com> ----- Date: Sat, 3 Sep 2016 08:49:34 +0300 From: Georgi Guninski <guninski(a)guninski.com> To: Jerry Leichter <leichter(a)lrw.com> Cc: Florian Weimer <fw(a)deneb.enyo.de>, Cryptography List <cryptography(a)metzdowd.com> Subject: Re: [Cryptography] "Flip Feng Shui: Hammering a Needle in the Software Stack" On Fri, Sep 02, 2016 at 10:56:10AM -0400, Jerry Leichter wrote: > > Why bother with patching public keys, making them amenable to > > factorization, if you can patch executable code instead? > > > > If you can target executable code (and I see why not, it's all the > > same to KSM), it is very clear that there cannot be a software-only > > defense.... > The technique cannot be aimed exactly: You can flip some unpredictable, uncontrollable subset of the bits in a word. (The vulnerability of particular bits is dependent on physical variations in the memory cells.) > ... > Attacks against the executable code are certainly the worst case, and you might be able to find security-sensitive but very rarely executed code to attack. But this is likely much harder to pull off than the attack outlined here. > Flipping random bits in a word at chosen location is very powerful primitive. I am taking bets that it is moderately easy to exploit via many vectors. Flipping random bits of zero word make it nonzero. In a boolean context, this flips False and True, screwing the logic. eg in: if(is_root || is_authorized) give_em_power(); else drop_em(); ----- End forwarded message -----

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PC-BSD Follows a Rolling Release Model, Gets Renamed To TrueOS
by grarpamp 04 Sep '16

04 Sep '16

http://linux.softpedia.com/blog/pc-bsd-operating-system-gets-renamed-to-tru… https://www.trueos.org/2016/09/01/pc-bsd-evolves-into-trueos/ We are proud to announce that the PC-BSD project has evolved into TrueOS: a modern, cutting-edge distribution of FreeBSD focused on security, simplicity, and stability for desktops, servers, and beyond! TrueOS harnesses the best elements of PC-BSD, combines it with security technologies from OpenBSD, and layers it on top of FreeBSD to provide a complete system for modern machines. TrueOS combines the convenience of a rolling release distribution with the failsafe technology of boot environments, resulting in a system that is both current and reliable. TrueOS now tracks FreeBSD’s “Current” branch and merges features from select FreeBSD developer branches to enhance support for newer hardware and technologies. Weekly automatic updates keep your system always up-to-date, and all updates are performed safely within system snapshots called boot environments. The TrueOS desktop uses the modular yet feature-rich Lumina desktop environment alongside the new SysAdm administration suite to provide a reliable desktop experience. SysAdm provides local and remote management of TrueOS and FreeBSD systems using a cross-platform graphical client compatible with Windows, Mac, and many Linux distributions. TrueOS is preconfigured for desktop and server installations using an intuitive graphical installer, taking the guesswork out of setting up a new system. Beta-quality images of TrueOS are currently available on trueos.org for users to help test in preparation for the upcoming release. These images demonstrate the rolling-release model and will seamlessly transition into the release version of TrueOS. As always, we thank you for your feedback and for being dedicated members of our community. TrueOS Features: Now a rolling release based on FreeBSD-CURRENT. Weekly package/ISO updates (or more often, as necessary). Only one package repository. Update when you’re ready and never get left behind again. Automatic updates can be enabled/disabled as desired. All updates are performed in a safe manner using Boot Environments. Updates never change your live system, as the updated system is not activated or used until you reboot Existing PC-BSD/FreeBSD users can use the non-destructive fresh installation into a new boot environment on non-encrypted ZFS pools. This mechanism preserves all user data while performing a fresh install of the operating system and all applications. Simply re-create any user accounts post-installation to access the data in their home directories TrueOS Desktop pre-installs a pure Qt5 system based around the Lumina desktop and SysAdm. TrueOS Server pre-installs the SysAdm service for remote system management, with remote access initially disabled. A full repository of applications is available for installation through AppCafe. TrueOS is currently in Beta status. All of the critical functionality is complete, but we are still migrating some utilities from PC-BSD to the new TrueOS framework. Differences from FreeBSD 11.0: LibreSSL has replaced OpenSSL completely, even in the FreeBSD base. Linux DRM 4.7 compatibility adds support for the Haswell, Broadwell, and Skylake Intel graphics. The entire system, including the FreeBSD base, is managed by pkg.

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Police Seize Perfect Privacy VPN Servers
by grarpamp 04 Sep '16

04 Sep '16

https://torrentfreak.com/police-seize-two-perfect-privacy-vpn-servers-16090… VPN provider Perfect Privacy has had two of its servers seized by Dutch police, as part of an active investigation. Police bypassed the VPN service and went directly to the company's hosting provider, I3D, who complied with a subpoena requesting the hardware. At the time of writing, it remains unclear why the servers in question were taken.

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Re: individual responsibility - was Re: Nationalism vs Globalism
by Mirimir 04 Sep '16

04 Sep '16

On 09/03/2016 04:03 AM, Zenaan Harkness wrote: >>> Is it possibly less than 'constructive' to dishearten individuals before >>> they've even begun? >> >> So maybe do something, instead of talking so much about it. > > Specific action has been underway for a few years, expecting about 2 to > go. Will report here when success of course. > >>> Could doing so, in the context of "fly below the radar with compliance >>> with the state" be seen as, I dunno, statist propaganda perhaps? >> >> Are you fucking serious? > > Yes. > > "do not oppose the state publicly" is easy to read as "comply with the > state". What I mean is don't get caught opposing the state. Where you have an oppressed majority that acknowledges its oppression, nonviolent resistance is a viable option. India. US south. South Africa. But it's hard so see how that would work in Australia, for example. But hey, if going down as a martyr is your trip, go for it! > This is hard to read in an anarchist context as anything other than > directly counter to the foundation principles of anarchism. I don't care much about labels. There is no "anarchism". > Do you say there's some flaw in this reasoning? Yeah, I did :)

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FOR once and FOR ALL
by Xer0Dynamite 04 Sep '16

04 Sep '16

Let's get this straight so all you can shut up or put up: There are two futures: one of an Apocalypse or one of Enlightenment. There are four prophesies (two religious and two mystical/new age) and two purely rational arguments why a dramatic and planetary shift MUST and WILL happen in one form or another. All this in-fighting is worthless. If you want the good future it will take Truths that you do not yet have or Righteousness for those who have NO voice in the world. These groups are right in America, no need to think they're far off and inaccessible. The experts have been wrong -- all of them. Whether it's medical doctors (who have never made a sane nor healthy world) or scientists (who have not secured a safer future and have wrapped themselves in a elaborate narrative exactly reminiscent of the Allegory of Plato's Cave) or religion (who have never even been held to their own creeds like protecting Earth and Do Not Kill), the failure also lies on all the MASSES (you and me) who have allowed this clusterfuck to happen and continue everyday. You are using your smartphone and sipping coffee to browse the web and be cool, right? All these petty issues like bitcoin and encryption, or occupy and gay rights are so far down the spectrum as to be laughable. The value of cypherpunks is tools for greater activism or personal development, not hiding from the State like little peons, but TRANSCENDING it. Read Hack the Law at hackerspaces wiki or New World Order, also at that site. Either the future is made BY us, or it is destroyed by US. Which is it? \0xDynamite

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Re: Continual Violation of List Charter
by Cari Machet 03 Sep '16

03 Sep '16

Why are you fucks trying to kill a listserv ? ... because you are fascists the topic of fascism is brought to the list by you enacting fascist tendencies ... should we ban the topic of fascism ? lets ban you and any admin because that is fascist ... if you dont want to be wholly part of the list you can set your little gadget to edit out the sad parts for you ... or dont you little fascist pussies know how to use technology ? On Sep 4, 2016 5:35 AM, "juan" <juan.g71(a)gmail.com> wrote: On Sat, 3 Sep 2016 14:14:13 -0700 "Stephen D. Williams" <sdw(a)lig.net> wrote: > On 9/3/16 1:30 PM, juan wrote: > > On Sat, 3 Sep 2016 14:41:52 -0400 > > grarpamp <grarpamp(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > >> [1] > >> "The Cypherpunks mailing list is a mailing list for discussing > >> cryptography and its effect on society." > > incomplete, and you didn't even provide a 'source' > > > > plus, it's obvious that you haven't read the 1992 - ~1998 > > archives of the list. > > Archives? We read it in real time. Who - the fuck - is we. My message was addressed to grarpamp. I bet he didn't read it in real time. > > If it isn't directly about the access to or effects of cryptography > and related security practices, it is off topic. Because an absurdist like you says so. > > Early on, the list was largely about making sure that we had > unfettered access to encryption and reasoning about the consequences > of that. This was important for ecommerce, the Internet in general, > the boundaries of the First Amendment, and as the baseline for the > rest of the world. All kinds of power grabs were in play, directly > from the FBI and others. A weak response might have left us in a > position difficult to unravel. Most of that came out OK, Exactly what a US establishment puppet woud say. So let's see : 1992 : "Computer technology is on the verge of providing the ability for individuals and groups to communicate and interact with each other in a totally anonymous manner. " I wonder if Tim May is embarrased at having mande such a blatantly wrong predicion. " Interactions over networks will be untraceable, via extensive re- routing of encrypted packets and tamper-proof boxes which implement cryptographic protocols with nearly perfect assurance against any tampering." Where are such networks operating? What we do have is completely sabotaged hardware courtesy of Intel Inc, a criminal organization that May had something to do, I believe. > but there > are always ongoing concerns and implications. Oh... > > Arguing whether the end of the world is coming or whose fault it is > or who is making political or military mistakes is all completely off > topic. Sure. It's especially important that the political 'mistakes' of the american nazis be completely 'ignored'. > > sdw >

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WAS [[tor-talk] http://jacobappelbaum.net/] - NOW [bla bla bla & ha ha ha]
by Александр 03 Sep '16

03 Sep '16

This thread is/was about one of the ugliest smear campaigns ever against a Honest Man. Against Jake Appelbaum. On this thread people with Heart & Soul tried to defend this Man's Reputation. This Man's Dignity. Man's LIFE. And what have you done from this thread? A? Your fucken childish games. bla bla bla & ha ha ha. and more bla bla bla & ha ha ha. and more bla bla bla & ha ha ha. *But it's not funny, fuckers. *Go & make your childish pseudo punky ha-ha-ha on other thread! ____ Rhetoric question: *Don't you have some kind of Respect to anything in this life? A? A_NY_THI_NG?Nope.* you are "anarchists/punks/whatever". you do what you waaaaaant. This is how behave True Human Beings? True Anarchists? True Punks? No. You are just clowns. Hollow people with no principles. *bla bla bla & ha ha ha - that's what you are.____*And the True Anarchist, the True Punk and Man of Honor, Jake Appelbaum, who fought in the name of all of us - is bleeding not only because he saw/sees NO defense of his name from 95% of you, people, who silently swallowed all this slander. *But he bleeds even much much more* from seeing this kind of boolshit, ugly circus, cruel inhumanity, where people make idiotic jokes and talk about debility issues on this thread.... the thread which buried his life deeeeep deeeeep under the ground. Don't you ha ve some kind of Humanity/ Integrity/ Respect to anything in this life? A? A_NY_THI_NG? Nope. *bla bla bla & ha ha ha - that's what you all are.Or more precisely, cruel bastards.**.*

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Open Public Notice re Tor Inc and Jacob Applebaum
by Zenaan Harkness 03 Sep '16

03 Sep '16

(( was In-Reply-To: <CAEm6KbLQAL+NVVgRiB6uO_b6Dtff3YsCyh6RSkLbR2VywZFROw(a)mail.gmail.com> )) On Sun, Aug 28, 2016 at 11:12:36AM +0300, Александр wrote: > “We must always take sides”, > “Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. This was and is a great insight for me - thank you Alex! So there's no misunderstanding of what I'm referring to: "Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim." Thank you Александр! Prequel to the this notice: Notice was given on the tor-talk email mailing list that those with authority past and / or present at Tor Inc, have an opportunity to rise to the occasion and denounce that which must be denounced and right those wrongs which must be righted. Despite publishing of "codes of conduct" and supporters of Tor Inc declaring things such as "they're a company, they do not have to do or say squat for the community" and "and besides, we're saving lives with our technology you volunteers must continue to volunteer" (which amounts to an attempt at emotional blackmail against those of good conscience - links to specific emails demonstrating these types of communications can be provided), all those with authority at Tor Inc have completely failed in their duty of care to our community, to right these wrongs (see below) and to correct the record and to denounce all those who must, on the evidence, be denounced (and fired from Tor Inc, and / or reinstated as employees of Tor Inc). Abundant opportunities of time have been publicly provided. It is now time to state for the record the following: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Open Public Notice, to the community and to Tor Inc "Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim." To all those who value the principles of justice, righteousness, and human rights including the right to private and anonymous communication. And also and more specifically, to Tor Inc, its previous board of directors, its current board of directors including Bruce Schneier, Jacob Applebaum, all operators of Tor nodes, exit nodes, bridge nodes, directory authorities and any other type of node, all those involved in spearheading the lynching campaign against Jacob Applebaum, including those who jumped on the lynch mob bandwagon, Shari Steele, those who have lied and otherwise conducted and condoned the public "justice campaign" against Jacob Applebaum which has been anything but justice and has been nothing but an incitement to an actual lynch mob. To those who have conducted themselves in evil actions (see link below), may the consequences of your actions swiftly return to you. - The ends (whatever "good" ends you thought you were trying to achieve) can never justify the public crucifixion by lynching of a man who may well be innocent, the creation of environment where his innocence may now be difficult to impossible to ever publicly determine, and the destruction of his public and private life, all for your supposed "good" ends. - You have achieved and now established that Tor Inc is a known dangerous place to work and to be involved, since "if you do not tow the Tor Inc party line, there is every chance you shall suffer the same fate as Jacob Applebaum" and "never be exonerated, or even have this situation where you are publicly lynched and it is impossible to ever truly exonerate you if you are innocent". - You have achieved the result many in our community now have grave concern regarding all future events organised or even merely endorsed by Tor Inc, since no one shall be free from the overriding oppressive fear that any innocent joke or statement, any innocent action, may well be deliberately taken out of context and used to publicly lynch the individual at issue, with no opportunity for proper or timely response by the individual at issue, and with the probability that those in authority at Tor Inc shall at best turn a blind eye and shall at worst use the events at issue against you. There is NO "code of conduct" nor any other document which by itself can undo that which now has inescapably arisen within our community, and which despite numerous requests, both clear and heartfelt, both emotional and rigorously rational, for those in authority at Tor Inc to address, and have repeatedly failed to address, despite superficial and cynical attempts by current Tor Inc employees to do so. We in the community have genuine fear and concern: - That Tor Inc is now completely and inescapably dominated by USA intelligence community employees including but not limited to the CIA, the US DoD, DIA, FBI and like agencies. - That good men and women have been genuinely and inescapably damaged by the actions and tacit approval of those currently in authority at Tor Inc. - That we can never shed our doubt that all those now employed by Tor Inc are utterly and inescapably compromised by some combination of the following: - by money - by the USA intelligence and other agencies of the USA government - by their own agendas which agendas are not acceptable to us - by agendas which are hidden from us - prima facie by their tacit consent by non repudiation of those events, words and individuals which in our minds and in our hearts are evil and otherwise against our principles, against our interests and against our consent - That those currently in authority and / or employed at Tor Inc are now not possible to be trusted by us, and must institute a public, publicly trustable, and publicly controlled process to replace all current employees of Tor Inc, in the fashion of the Debian project of Software In The Public Interest, and which process includes many and varies voices throughout the community and far and wide from the shores of the USA, to attempt to reinstate community trust in Tor Inc. - That without such a public process to replace those now employed by Tor Inc, that Tor Inc shall continue to demonstrate its fundamental compromise and undermine of the very community it claims to support. In order to establish any level of public trust in the future elected employees of Tor Inc, the process of election of employees of Tor Inc must be a "publicly acceptable" election. This means it must include as constituents, that is those who may vote in that election, all members of organisations including but not limited to : - The Free Software Foundation - The Free Software Foundation India - Software In The Public Interest - All current Debian Developers - and many and varied other individuals who demonstrate by their affiliations, their support for improving this world - All those eligible to vote, are eligible to be nominated for election as an employee of Tor Inc. - All those eligible to vote, are eligible to nominate one person for election. The vote must be public, with the votes cast and who cast each vote, being public and not anonymous. Voting is optional. With a public record of the vote, the vote is auditable and verifiable by anyone who chooses to do so. We, the broader community: - Denounce those evils tacitly consented to (or 'ignored') by employees of Tor Inc, past and / or present. - We denounce the complete failure of "justice" for Jacob Applebaum due to the conduct and the tacit approval of the Tor Inc employees. - We insist on replacement of all current employees of Tor Inc. in order to attempt to establish a basis for trust in the activities of Tor Inc. and the technologies it produces. - We insist on a public remedy to the egregious problems we continue to witness at Tor Inc, by instituting the above public vote for all employees of Tor Inc. The conduct of those with authority at Tor Inc, against Jacob Applebaum, allegedly in pursuit of justice for alleged victims of Jacob Applebaum, was a public lynching - the so called "justice" of the lynch mob. This "justice" meted out to Jacob Applebaum, by the authority of and under the aegis of the current Tor Inc employees, an allegedly not for profit corporation in the United States of America, has been nothing but a public lynching and as such: - is an absolute abomination - is an injustice to the accused - is an injustice to any potential or actual victims of the accused - has destroyed the credibility of all current employees of Tor Inc - is unethical - is immoral - is quite possibly illegal - is absolutely unacceptable to the community - demonstrates that Tor Inc, and all those who have been and currently are employed at Tor Inc, are compromised, to a greater or lesser degree; failure to denounce and stop and rectify an evil, is an evil of itself This public lynching has resulted in not only a complete failure for any justice being achieved, but is a source of numerous real, identifiable and egregious failures in the conduct of those with authority at Tor Inc in respect of any and all who have ever been involved with the Tor "privacy and anonymity" software and events related to Tor Inc and anyone associated with or involved with Tor Inc employees, including any and all women or men who have or who may have ever been subject to illegal or inappropriate actions by any individual associated with Tor Inc, including employees of Tor Inc. For those who are yet to discover the public facts available in regards to this public lynching of a probably innocent man, Jacob Applebaum, and wish to do so, can do so here: https://github.com/Enegnei/JacobAppelbaumLeavesTor/blob/master/JacobAppelba… We note also that even Jacob Applebaum, despite his fight against infiltration of Tor Inc by CIA employees, has admitted that those employed ("we" he cearly included himself) at Tor Inc are compromised by and due to the source of the funding of Tor Inc. We note further that this is a genuine problem We note further that this problem is a remediable problem, by causing those paid positions at Tor Inc to be subject to a broad and public vote. The current public attitude of the current Tor Inc employees is quite adversarial to the community principles we hold dear, such as transparency and accountability. For example when pressed on a significant fundamental such as the lack of transparency and impartiality around the alleged "internal investigation" of Jacob Applebaum, Tor Inc employees and apologists say "prove it", which clearly implies "trust us, we know what's best, we do what's best, we don't care what you think about that". (Email references from the tor-talk mailing list can be discovered.) This public attitude by current Tor Inc employees continues to not only erode, but further reinforce the community's grave concerns about the infiltration of Tor Inc by individuals who are: - opposed to transparency - opposed to facilitating a constructive community dialogue - opposed to the interests of the community - opposed to justice and righteousness This demonstrates continued intention by the current Tor Inc employees to : - claim and pretend that everything at Tor Inc is alright - act as though all problems were fixed when the entire Tor Inc board was rapidly replaced with no public process or involvement in selection of the new employees - continue to fail to denounce the public lynching campaign of Jacob Applebaum, an employee of Tor Inc who was caused to end his employement at Tor Inc as a consequence of all these problems at Tor Inc. - continue to tacitly endorse / tacitly consented to, this public lynching You who sit behind the scenes at Tor Inc, including but not limited to Roger Dingledine, have acquiesced on your duty of care to our community, to our fellow freedom fighters, to all those oppressed and otherwise victimised in matters of interpersonal and sexual relationships (not only women), failed to uphold righteous and the principles we hold dear in particular processes which constitute justice, and failed to conduct your process of inquiry and 'internal procedure / "law"' against Jacob Applebaum. Signed: Zenaan Harkness (let's not flood the mailing list with endorsements - if someone considers it relevant, create an endorsements website) > Silence encourages the > tormentor, never the tormented.” Elie Wiesel urged in his spectacular Nobel > Prize speech. And yet, part of the human tragedy is that despite our best > intentions and our most ardent ideals, we often lull ourselves into > *neutrality* in the face of INjustice — be it out of fear for our own > stability, or lack of confidence in our ability to make a difference, or > that most poisonous foible of the soul, the two-headed snake of cynicism > and apathy. > > We must unmoor ourselves from a *passivity* we so masterfully rationalize, > remembering that INjustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, and > rise to that awareness with moral courage and dignity! > > If and when INjustice become so deeply embedded in a society without strong > revolt against it, then even those whom this INjustice oppresses long > enough -> end up internalizing, accepting and even justifying it! > > The shift from denial of INjustice to recognition of injustice can’t be > unmade. What your eyes have seen they have seen. Once you see the > INjustice, you can never again in good faith deny the oppression and defend > the oppressor. *What was loyalty is now betrayal. From now on, if you don’t > resist, you collude. * > > > > > > > *ursula le guin___* > >From Zenaan > > > Time to grow up folks. Own the damn mess. Clean up your shit. Get rid of > > those individuals who are evidently compromised in ways that can not be > > tolerated. > > > !!! > __ > > > > and we get either banned from the public discussion (Juan, Alex > (afalex169) and others), OR booted from the community and Tor Inc with > disgrace (Jacob Applebaum). > > > !!! > __ > > > > Yes, you sure do... plenty of work to clean up this mess - > > continue to pretend it does not exist at your peril. > > > !!! > __ > > > > in Tor Inc as well as any other corporation and > > demoncratic governments around the world, sociopathic individuals > > predominate. > > > !!! > __ > > > Tor Inc is not a "normal" company - none of you (employees of Tor Inc) > are held by us in > > the Tor community as "normal" employees or "regular" folks - we have > > been, are, and shall continue to hold you to a higher standard than we > > hold "normal" capitalist 'pigs' to. > > __ > > !!! > > > And take good notice - it is perhaps most often your non-actions, which > > demonstrate your tacit support for evils done, which have the greatest > > consequences in our consciousness. > > > > Meet our (!!) standard and you shall stand as heroes. > > > !!! > __ > > > Fail to meet our standard and you and your purported principles shall > > forever be "the ones who fell from grace, disgraced themselves and > > disgraced the community, spitting on the very principles we all held to > > be sacred and inviolable". > > > !!! > __ > > > > Time to participate folks. Every one. > > !!! > > ____ > > > > > > > *Thank you very much for this Message, Zenaan.You are the voice of Suzie > Dawson (suzi3d.com/ <http://suzi3d.com/>), mine and many other good-hearted > People.It's time for Actions. It's time to REVOLT against this INtollerable > Evil and INjustice against Appelbaum... against ALL THE HIGHER PRINCIPLES! > It's time (and it was since the first day of this smear campaign) to EXPOSE > all the scumbags who created the slander against Jake AND those who > silently accepted it->AND KICK THEIR FUCKEN ASSES OUT OF THE COMMUNITY!*

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Re: [tor-talk] http://jacobappelbaum.net/
by Cecilia Tanaka 03 Sep '16

03 Sep '16

On Aug 31, 2016 4:46 AM, "grarpamp" <grarpamp(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > On 8/30/16, Cecilia Tanaka <cecilia.tanaka(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > There are several pics of his orgies if you know where to search > > Serious thread is serious, needs more sexylovetime to defuse... > http://flatrock.org.nz/static/frontpage/large_putin_and_pals.jpg Grarpamp, your delicious pervie... After this ménage, would you like to see Putin riding a bear? See how the bear is horny... You know, Putin has a BIG gun and he is always ready to use it, hehe... ;) https://handaddy.wordpress.com/2015/02/05/vladimir-putin-has-aspergers

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Re: [Cryptography] "Flip Feng Shui: Hammering a Needle in the Software Stack"
by Georgi Guninski 03 Sep '16

03 Sep '16

On Fri, Sep 02, 2016 at 10:56:10AM -0400, Jerry Leichter wrote: > > Why bother with patching public keys, making them amenable to > > factorization, if you can patch executable code instead? > > > > If you can target executable code (and I see why not, it's all the > > same to KSM), it is very clear that there cannot be a software-only > > defense.... > The technique cannot be aimed exactly: You can flip some unpredictable, uncontrollable subset of the bits in a word. (The vulnerability of particular bits is dependent on physical variations in the memory cells.) > ... > Attacks against the executable code are certainly the worst case, and you might be able to find security-sensitive but very rarely executed code to attack. But this is likely much harder to pull off than the attack outlined here. > Flipping random bits in a word at chosen location is very powerful primitive. I am taking bets that it is moderately easy to exploit via many vectors. Flipping random bits of zero word make it nonzero. In a boolean context, this flips False and True, screwing the logic. eg in: if(is_root || is_authorized) give_em_power(); else drop_em();

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