Just about every Windows and Linux device vulnerable to new LogoFAIL firmware attack::UEFIs booting Windows and Linux devices can be hacked by malicious logo images.

  • BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Every device booting from UEFI is vulnerable. It’s neither a Windows nor Linux issue, it’s UEFI.

    Because UEFI has Code-execution capability before OS loads. In this case it’s for the logo

    • setsubyou@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      It’s not related to Windows or Linux, but as the article notes, Apple devices that use UEFI are not vulnerable (and current ones don’t use it anymore and therefore aren’t vulnerable either), so I guess that’s where the “Windows or Linux” comes from.

      • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        And I can install FreeBSD or OpenBSD on a non-Apple machine, and it will have the same security issue.

        The article is written inaccurately. The issue is that the industry-standard pre-OS-load firmware patterns and interfaces (BIOS/EFI/UEFI) are vulnerable. Apple uses nonstandard/highly customized hardware, firmware, and software (because they’re more or less completely vertically integrated), and their custom stuff doesn’t have the same flaw due to that customization.

  • Tar_Alcaran@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    Can anyone explain to me if this is an actual risk outside a highly controlled environment? AFAIK, it’s a pretty non-casual thing to change the UEFI boot logo, so wouldn’t that make this pretty hard to actually pull off?

    • Evilcoleslaw@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      The article quoted the researchers who indicated it can be done with remote access by using other attack vectors. This is because most UEFI systems store the logo on disk in the EFI system partition. It doesn’t need to do anything crazy like compile and flash a modified firmware. All it needs to do is overwrite the logo file on disk.

      • Tar_Alcaran@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        Ah, that’s much easier than I thought. I guess I’m horrible out of date on my “messing with BIOS” knowledge

  • YodaDaCoda@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    I want my computer to run an open-source BIOS/UEFI but the set of systems supported by projects like Libreboot is unfortunately rather limited.