https://www.wired.com/story/tetra-radio-encryption-backdoor/
"For more than 25 years, a technology used for critical data and voice radio
communications around the world has been shrouded in secrecy to prevent anyone
from closely scrutinizing its security properties for vulnerabilities. But now
it’s finally getting a public airing thanks to a small group of researchers in
the Netherlands who got their hands on its viscera and found serious flaws,
including a deliberate backdoor.
The backdoor, known for years by vendors that sold the technology but not
necessarily by customers, exists in an encryption algorithm baked into radios
sold for commercial use in critical infrastructure. It’s used to transmit
encrypted data and commands in pipelines, railways, the electric grid, mass
transit, and freight trains. It would allow someone to snoop on communications
to learn how a system works, then potentially send commands to the radios that
could trigger blackouts, halt gas pipeline flows, or reroute trains.
Researchers found a second vulnerability in a different part of the same radio
technology that is used in more specialized systems sold exclusively to police
forces, prison personnel, military, intelligence agencies, and emergency
services, such as the C2000 communication system used by Dutch police, fire
brigades, ambulance services, and Ministry of Defense for mission-critical
voice and data communications. The flaw would let someone decrypt encrypted
voice and data communications and send fraudulent messages to spread
misinformation or redirect personnel and forces during critical times.
Three Dutch security analysts discovered the vulnerabilities—five in total—in a
European radio standard called TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked Radio), which is used
in radios made by Motorola, Damm, Hytera, and others. The standard has been
used in radios since the ’90s, but the flaws remained unknown because
encryption algorithms used in TETRA were kept secret until now."
Via Danie and Wilco Roos.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
