5/1/2023 0 Comments Hard disk led always onGuri's other malware-based attacks on air-gapped computers has shown that data can be leaked from a computer's speakers and fans, FM waves, and heat. "The hard-drive LED flickers frequently, and therefore the user won't be suspicious about changes in its activity." "Our method compared with other LED exfiltration is unique, because it is also covert," Guri said. The beauty of the attack is that HDD LED lights blink anyway, making it easy to conceal that the infected machine is actually transmitting data. We can transmit data in a very fast way at a very long distance," Ben-Gurion researcher Mordechai Guri told Wired. "We found that the small hard-drive indicator LED can be controlled at up to 6,000 blinks per second. According to the researchers, it's an impressive 10 times faster than previous optical covert channels for leaking data from air-gapped computers. That speed is incredibly slow by today's USB standards, but it's more than enough to steal encryption keys or text and binary files. The researchers explain in a new paper that data can be leaked from HDD LEDs at a rate of 4kbps. If those lights are visible from a window, a camera-equipped drone or telescopic lens can capture the signals at a distance. The LEDs flicker when the drive is undergoing read and write operations, but can be made to transmit data visually.Īs Wired reports, the malware that the researchers devised can force an HDD LED to blink 6,000 times per second. Security researchers from Israel's Ben Gurion University have just demonstrated that if an attacker did manage to infect an air-gapped computer, they could steal data semi-remotely at their leisure by using a camera to capture signals from the LED lights of its hard-disk drive (HDD). Besides that, an insider could always insert a USB drive into an air-gapped computer. However, Stuxnet showed air-gaps can be breached. If your external drive's power supply (also known as the power adapter) needs to be replaced because of malfunction or because it was lost, please contact Seagate Support.Air-gapped computers aren't physically connected to any network and so should be protected from remote hackers. If those steps do not return the drive to correct function, it is very possible, even probable, that the drive has failed and needs to be replaced - see our Warranty page to check the warranty. If that does not correct the behavior, and if the drive is also not detected by your computer, the blinking light is probably a symptom of a larger problem. Safely remove the drive from the computer (if possible).ĭisconnect the external drive's USB or FireWire cable.ĭisconnect the power supply plug from the external drive.ĭisconnect the computer's power supply cord for 60 seconds.Ĭonnect the power supply to the external drive.Ĭonnect the drive's USB or FireWire cable and check for detection. Make sure the computer and external hard drive are powered on. If your external drive's LED behavior has recently changed (and particularly if the drive is no longer detected or has changed the way it interacts with your computer), begin troubleshooting by following these steps: This article will provide numerous useful links for checking and troubleshooting this behavior. The behavior of the light (or LED) on your external drive can vary in meaning depending on the drive model.
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