Root Access

12:47 AM

@JourneymanGeek lol awesome

ugh

Ugh, fellas. This is primarily an opinion based question. While we're the ewok types, please don't send us the ones with fleas. — Journeyman Geek 45 secs ago

Bob

@JourneymanGeek better if you ping the guy who suggested it too

otherwise he'll probably never see that comment

o.O

@allquixotic Star Citizen AMA

> We can't wait to show you what we have worked on at PAX AUSTRALIA!

O_O

Hmm... Oct 31st... I could actually go O_O

Journeyman Geek

;p

Bob

But it's in Melbourne

that's a good 10 hour drive

there's... a KSP tournament? wut

Journeyman Geek

1:12 AM

lkml.org/lkml/2014/10/23/151

allquixotic

2:21 AM

huh. I like Civilization: Beyond Earth

will be playing more of it

-2

A: Is SELinux important if I'm the only one who uses my computers?

One of the points of SELinux is that it can be used to ensure that you continue to be the only one to use your computers...

Psycogeek

@allquixotic I thought that was a good summary to the rest of the answers :-)

Psycogeek

3:31 AM

blast these answers, they always get out-of-hand

And so the story goes that the UEFI interface to the same basic hardware actions was born, giving a pathway to generational reproduction of the same idea to expand.
Once given the freedom to create a whole OS like software on the leetel storage chip on the motherboard the UEFI grows and grows (as planned).
With great beauty and great power and a vast array of resources at hand, they can make a BIOS now known as the UEFI (universal electronic fail infestation) that is capable of almost anything.

Journeyman Geek

So get off my lawn? ;p

Psycogeek

Atop the mountain the UEFI goes to speak to the burning bush , which was caused by the smoke comming out of the computer security clans.

Cerberus

@Psycogeek I wonder why there is no hardware switch you need to set in order to flash new UEFI firmware. It's such a risk!

And it has already been abused.

Psycogeek

After 5 years (that is how long all ramifications take) UEFI came down from the mountain top with 2 tablets written in stone. It was known as the 10 Rules. When UEFI saw what the people had done to the hardware , he was angered, and slammed the tablets to the ground.

Journeyman Geek

@Cerberus: Define risk

Psycogeek

3:42 AM

UEFI said , You have dishonored my hardware and my grace for having provided you the path to great destruction. I have spoken to hardware and you are all going to hell.

Journeyman Geek

Considering you can generally flash in new UEFI firmware under situations where bios would fail

Psycogeek

(just like my answer)

Journeyman Geek

and there's many optional failsafes

Cerberus

@JourneymanGeek It has already been abused.

If there is one element in your computer that you shouldn't be able to flash at all, it is that.

Journeyman Geek

What, bad bios?

Cerberus

3:49 AM

UEFI.

Journeyman Geek

No, I mean how where has it been abused?

Cerberus

If you really have to flash it, use a hardware switch.

Oh.

Some virus managed to flash it.

Journeyman Geek

Cerberus

Why would I need a citation?

I can Google a link for you?

Journeyman Geek

That would help, yes.

Cerberus

3:54 AM

tweakers.net/nieuws/99203/…

Journeyman Geek

It helps to back up claims like that

Cerberus

It's in Dutch.

@JourneymanGeek You presume that I need to back up a claim that I already know to be true.

Journeyman Geek

No, I presume you need to be specific when making a claim so people know what you're talking about.

Cerberus

I assumed people knew.

Journeyman Geek

And that sounds like you could, in theory do the same thing with bios.

Cerberus

3:56 AM

Of course.

Journeyman Geek

And that its a problem with a specific reference implimentation of UEFI everyone has copied.

Cerberus

There is Badbios and such.

Journeyman Geek

Badbios seems to be a myth.

Cerberus

Not everyone, but many UEFI chip makers.

mitre.org/sites/default/files/publications/…

This is the presentation Tweakers links to.

I have only read the Tweakers article.

Journeyman Geek

ahh

that's pretty good actually

and in english

Cerberus

3:59 AM

heise.de/security/meldung/…

A German article.

Which languages do you read?

Journeyman Geek

English and Tamil ;p

Cerberus

At any rate, if you can alter the firmware on the chip to patch or update it or whatever, then you cannot exclude the possibility that bad guys can, too. This risk, even while it is still theoretical, should be eliminated.

Heh.

A hardware switch should do it.

Psycogeek

@Cerberus how do we then solve the issue of intel (and MB makers) having created a net connection that is capable of connecting to the internet When the computer is in the OFF state , in possible colusion with a basic hardware interface that could hve stayed basic, and instead will have to have a load of mostly unnessisry security garbage tossed in it, that will half work , .. . etc

Cerberus

@Psycogeek I'm not sure I understand...

Psycogeek

@Cerberus my new nic card onboard claims it can actually download from the web, when the computer is off. (it rides off of 5v standby power)

Cerberus

4:07 AM

I don't know what a NIC card is...

Psycogeek

Intel network lan thing

Cerberus

Ah.

The kind that can wake on LAN?

Psycogeek

Wake, no it does not have to wake, it can work while asleep

Cerberus

As long as only its volatile memory is writable, I think the risk of a rootkit is absent?

Psycogeek

I think most of the risks are low, it wont prevent some person from exploiting it, and a whole industry created to stop it.

Cerberus

4:10 AM

That may be true.

Even so, I think chips like UEFI thingies just shouldn't be writable at all except with a hardware chip.

Psycogeek

when it could have stayed simple, that is my only thing, it was not a requirement it was a cool thing that could be done.

Cerberus

Yes, sometimes they make the wrong things more complex.

Oh, and I think the firmware on other components of a computer should not be writable either, except with a hardware switch.

Look at how many rootkits they have found that operate on hard-drive firmware, USB-device firmware...

Psycogeek

@Cerberus just like the section of the phones that is parts of the same flash chip that the person uses to store data on. Its no longer my grandfathers EPROM flash where you had to actually flash.

easy in, easy out :-)

Cerberus

Are you talking about the bootloader?

Perhaps that should be a separate, read-only chip, yes. (On a side note, you should still be able to root your phone, so the bootloader should not be locked, then!).

Psycogeek

so yes a switch to re-write the whole base code that the hardware starts by , seems like it would have been thought up even and tossed out.

Cerberus

4:17 AM

Such switches are sometimes used.

Psycogeek

Oh lets control it instead with software

Cerberus

And they are good.

@Psycogeek Noooo!!!

Hardware switches just mean more work for the company servicing the thing in case they want to update the firmware.

Which I think is not a good enough reason.

Psycogeek

they could put in a key switch , then have ignition flash problems :-)

Cerberus

4:31 AM

Haha.

Apply more force or the virus won't catch!

Psycogeek

and dont forget my Footpedal firewall. press on gas to get connection, or use web cruise control.

Cerberus

Haha that would be cool.

Journeyman Geek

7:06 AM

0

Q: Is it safe to stick a modem/router to the wall with blutak?

I've stuck my modem and router to the wall, to safe to save space. The wall jack is in the kitchen, they would otherwise be in the way. Is it safe to use blutak? They appear to be stuck on pretty firm, but I worry that it'll unstick and damage the modem or router.

hardware-rec

Whut?

Hennes

10:10 AM

Time to google what blutak is

Ah, some unfamiliar brand.

Journeyman Geek

blue tac ;p

Blu-Tack

Blu-tack is a reusable putty-like pressure-sensitive adhesive produced by Bostik, commonly used to attach lightweight objects (such as posters or sheets of paper) to walls or other dry surfaces. Traditionally blue (blu), it is also available in other colours. The composition of Blu-Tack is a manufacturing secret but is described as a synthetic rubber compound without hazardous properties under normal conditions. It can be swallowed without harm and is noncarcinogenic. It is non-soluble and is denser than water. The material has a flash point of 93 °C / 200 °F, at which it releases carbon dioxide...

Hennes

oh, scoll back about UEFI stuff. Nice

I read some of it and was on the first pages of 14-2221-extreme-escalation.pdf

abei kommt es an zwei Stellen zu Integer Overflows, die ein Angreifer ausnutzen kann, um Schadcode zu diesem sehr frühen Zeitpunkt des Bootvorgangs auszuführen. Der Code muss nicht mal eine gültige Signatur besitzen.

The last seems badly coded.

First check the signature. Then attempt to parse it.

Uh, Intel NUCs had the vulnerable UEFI. Not good (tm)

Bob

10:48 AM

@allquixotic Meelec has a slightly updated Matrix2 with MicroUSB charging :P

> Nope, sorry. The only two aptX models we have right now are the Matrix2 and the Metro2 (which is an in-ear). There will be an on-ear model with aptX towards the end of the year as well.

Two more months! :P

Ash

11:07 AM

anyone got spare invites to googles new inbox ?

@JourneymanGeek @HackToHell

Journeyman Geek

11:23 AM

Fraid not

Hennes

Nope. Not even an account at google (and no way to make one without paying)

Fitzroy

1:18 PM

I'm sure it used to be possible to browse directories using Internet Explorer. It behaved just like Windows Explorer. When I attempt to navigate to C:\ or C:/ it just launches a Windows Explorer window. Anyone know if this is still possible?

Should have probably said, I attempted this on Windows 7 running IE8

Bob

@Fitzroy Do you need it?

> if what you want is to essentialy have an Explorer interface for files and folders from within IE7, it is not possible. The integration with Explorer was completely removed in IE7 for security reasons.

So... yea.

Fitzroy

1:38 PM

@Bob As it's not possible to run an elevated instance of Windows Explorer, I was hoping that I could run IE elevated and use to navigate directories. Not being able to run Windows Explorer elevated is problematic on a system with UAC enabled.

Bob

Hm.

I normally just drop into an elevated command prompt.

Running IE (or any browser, for that matter) elevated is in general a terrible idea.

Fitzroy

I'm happy to use cmd/powershell - but not all other admins are.

I don't use the Windows GUI much these days

Bob

@Fitzroy If they can't use a CLI, they don't deserve to be called an admin.

You might look into third-party folder browsers. I'm not sure.

Fitzroy

I like to use the native OS tools where ever possible.

But it's a valid suggestion.

Bob

That's what cmd/PS are for. But if you start ruling out the native tools designed for the job, then you don't really have many other options.

Fitzroy

1:42 PM

Basically any third party file explorer would do the trick. The only reason Windows Explorer is useless is because it's related to the explorer.exe shell.

Bob

Explorer's a bit of a weird case. It can elevate most tasks, but not browsing itself... weird.

Hm. Might make a suggestion to MS for Win10, actually.

Fitzroy

You'd have to run the whole explorer.exe as elevated. Yuk.

Bob

@Fitzroy You could also use the file browser dialog.

Just open an elevated Notepad and use its open dialog.

Fitzroy

...And Windows probably doesn't let you do that anyway

Bob

@Fitzroy There's an option hidden in folder options for each Explorer window to get its own process. I don't how how that works with elevation, though.

Fitzroy

1:43 PM

Yes - thats a good trick! forgot about that!

The option is called "Launch folder windows in a separate process" . But it was dropped after Windows Vista. Dang.

Bob

It was? Huh.

Fitzroy

So I've just discovered

Bob

...I have it in Win8.1

Fitzroy

OK - just reading an article on the subject...

OK, correction - the option is still present in Windows 7. But apparently after Windows Vista you can no longer run explorer elevated. At least not without some hackery. That's according to this post: social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/… "...explorer has a component which blocks every request to elevate the Explorer."

There's only one way to find out - try it. Will let you know the outcome...

Fitzroy

2:06 PM

OK - tested it. Created a directory and gave administrators group permissions only. Using an account that is a member of administrators, launched Windows Explorer normally, tried to open the folder and as expected got the warning that "You don't currently have permission to access this folder".

I then opened an elevated powershell prompt and ran 'explorer c:\' and tried to access the folder. Same result.

Oh well - seems it's not possible...

Bob

Try the file browser dialog.

Fitzroy

how can i invoke it easily?

Bob

28 mins ago, by Bob

Just open an elevated Notepad and use its open dialog.

You could also open one through a PS or VBS script, if you really wanted

Fitzroy

Sorry - completely missed that suggestion!

ok - I try it.

Yeah - works perfectly. Why didn't I think of that... shamed

HackToHell

@Ash nope

Fitzroy

2:19 PM

@bob thanks Bob. That's steered me in the right direction. Without reinventing the wheel, I can just come up with a solution using the common file dialogue.

Bob

Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Windows.Forms
$dialog = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.OpenFileDialog
$dialog.ShowDialog()

Fitzroy

Invoke it using powershell, or perhaps it can be invoked with rundll. I'll see.

beat me to it. thanks.

When you look at the Common File Dialogue and Windows Explorer side-by-side they're practicaly the same thing. A very nice solution. Thanks.

HackToHell

Bob

2:43 PM

The answers on this page... cringe

Journeyman Geek

I'm pretty sure the wall of text is a spammer

HackToHell

3:06 PM

Eh gigaom.com/2014/10/24/…

allquixotic

@Bob oh cool!

am probably going to wait for the on-ear aptX model though and hope the hell it does MicroUSB, because I'm getting very tired of having to have a separate stash of MiniUSB cables. I mean, I thought they were dead and gone, but my headphones and my emergency radio both use it -_-

@Bob meowy! you're not going to change to a cat gravatar now, are you? ... or is that a fox?!?!

no. that can't be a fox. it has cat eyes and a Tabby "M" on its forehead.

That Brazilian Guy

3:26 PM

-6

Q: Are you mods always retarded like this?

Are you retards and moderator cocksuckers always like this? Go suck your own dick rather than randomly downvoting stuffs and deleting user's comments without any explanations.

mod

Such a lovely, happy fella

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