1 Topic by burhen42

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Topic: How can I audit my PC and what tampering should I look out for?

I've just ordered a new Libreboot Thinkpad to install Hyperbola in and I'm wondering...
However unlikely it may be (which I don't want to discuss), let's say somebody intercepts it and tampers with it in some way - what kind of tampering can I expect? In the firmware? CPU? GPU? RAM? Storage drives? Anything else?

Whatever happens, how can I audit my new computer?
If anything's amiss, what can I do about it?

Thanks.

2 Reply by zapper

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Re: How can I audit my PC and what tampering should I look out for?

burhen42 wrote:

I've just ordered a new Libreboot Thinkpad to install Hyperbola in and I'm wondering...
However unlikely it may be (which I don't want to discuss), let's say somebody intercepts it and tampers with it in some way - what kind of tampering can I expect? In the firmware? CPU? GPU? RAM? Storage drives? Anything else?

Whatever happens, how can I audit my new computer?
If anything's amiss, what can I do about it?

Thanks.

You should be mostly fine, unless the EC firmware or the intel vulnerabilities are an issue...

That being said, I have had no major malware issues since using libreboot/coreboot devices. 

I am however in a year hoping to break my bondage from intel devices.  More or less I mean... wink

HyperbolaBSD: The Future of Secure Libre Lightweight Operating Systems!

3 Reply by rachad

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Re: How can I audit my PC and what tampering should I look out for?

burhen42 wrote:

I've just ordered a new Libreboot Thinkpad to install Hyperbola in and I'm wondering...
However unlikely it may be (which I don't want to discuss), let's say somebody intercepts it and tampers with it in some way - what kind of tampering can I expect? In the firmware? CPU? GPU? RAM? Storage drives? Anything else?

Whatever happens, how can I audit my new computer?
If anything's amiss, what can I do about it?

Thanks.

you should be safe but if you dont feel like it, and want to make sure all is set right just build libreboot from source or download rom already built and reflash it, you wont need external hardware now just install flashrom in your system and use this command:

 doas flashrom -p internal:laptop=force_I_want_a_brick -w <name_of_selected_rom>

other than that i dont think you should worry much

4 Reply by burhen42

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Re: How can I audit my PC and what tampering should I look out for?

rachad wrote:
burhen42 wrote:

I've just ordered a new Libreboot Thinkpad to install Hyperbola in and I'm wondering...
However unlikely it may be (which I don't want to discuss), let's say somebody intercepts it and tampers with it in some way - what kind of tampering can I expect? In the firmware? CPU? GPU? RAM? Storage drives? Anything else?

Whatever happens, how can I audit my new computer?
If anything's amiss, what can I do about it?

Thanks.

you should be safe but if you dont feel like it, and want to make sure all is set right just build libreboot from source or download rom already built and reflash it, you wont need external hardware now just install flashrom in your system and use this command:

 doas flashrom -p internal:laptop=force_I_want_a_brick -w <name_of_selected_rom>

other than that i dont think you should worry much

Hi. So what should I enter in place of "force_I_want_a_brick"?
Just so its crystal clear what I gotta do. Thanks.

5 Reply by rachad

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Re: How can I audit my PC and what tampering should I look out for?

i can see that it looks confusing smile leave it as it is you just change <name_of_selected_rom> replacing the "<>" as well

6 Reply by burhen42

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Re: How can I audit my PC and what tampering should I look out for?

Hi. I finally got round to doing this.
I booted Trisquel live, installed flashrom and tried to verify the firmware.
Unfortunately, I keep coming up with a message telling me that I am running flashrom on an unsupported laptop and it aborts the process.

I am using a W500 by the way.

7 Reply by rachad

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Re: How can I audit my PC and what tampering should I look out for?

burhen42 wrote:

Hi. I finally got round to doing this.
I booted Trisquel live, installed flashrom and tried to verify the firmware.
Unfortunately, I keep coming up with a message telling me that I am running flashrom on an unsupported laptop and it aborts the process.

I am using a W500 by the way.

did you build libreboot from source or downloaded the rom from Here

8 Reply by burhen42

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Re: How can I audit my PC and what tampering should I look out for?

I bought my Thinkpad pre-installed with Libreboot.

9 Reply by rachad

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Re: How can I audit my PC and what tampering should I look out for?

burhen42 wrote:

I bought my Thinkpad pre-installed with Libreboot.

just keep it that way and prepare your self to upgrade wen the new release is out

10 Reply by burhen42

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Re: How can I audit my PC and what tampering should I look out for?

rachad wrote:
burhen42 wrote:

I bought my Thinkpad pre-installed with Libreboot.

just keep it that way and prepare your self to upgrade wen the new release is out

Are you talking about Retroboot? Or is there actually a new version of Libreboot coming soon?
How do you know that?

11 Reply by rachad

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Re: How can I audit my PC and what tampering should I look out for?

burhen42 wrote:

Are you talking about Retroboot? Or is there actually a new version of Libreboot coming soon?
How do you know that?

yes a new version of libreboot leah told me that, idk wen though could be this month next one the great thing is we will have libreboot and hyperbola 0.4 verry soon, from there greater work will be done wink

12 Reply by libremind (edited by libremind 2021-08-11 09:53:36)

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Re: How can I audit my PC and what tampering should I look out for?

Mostly depends on who is going to tempter with your the computer.

burhen42 wrote:

what kind of tampering can I expect? In the firmware? CPU? GPU? RAM? Storage drives? Anything else?

Install malware or hardware components like chip in the keyboard etc

https://www.extremetech.com/computing/1 … eport-says

burhen42 wrote:

Whatever happens, how can I audit my new computer?

I think will be hard to check if the computer has been tempered in some way.