A newly discovered hack could force computers to go back in time, creating the potential for attackers to decrypt communications, disrupt Bitcoin transactions and force network outages.
The majority of computer clocks across the world synchronize based on a system called Network Time Protocol. The protocol, referred to as NTP, can be manipulated to shift clocks by as many as 10 years, according to research led by Sharon Goldberg, an associate professor of computer science at Boston University, andmade public this week.
“If the computer was turned off for a long time and it thinks it was yesterday, and it’s been powered off for some time, it might not know that a week has gone by, Goldberg says. Computers calibrate with NTP, the sundial of the Internet. Goldberg’s team of students found they could hijack clocks while computers were on, and also shift them when they turned back on after a reboot. For the full article click here
from hacker samurai http://ift.tt/1Kw9MgG
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment