From the course: Threat Modeling: Tampering in Depth

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Debug interfaces are exposed

Debug interfaces are exposed

From the course: Threat Modeling: Tampering in Depth

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Debug interfaces are exposed

- [Instructor] We have to consider what happens when someone tampers with hardware. Is physical access game over? Or are there additional layers of protection? A castle has a moat, then a wall, then another wall. Each has a fancy name, which you need to know if you play a lot of D&D. Computers can also have defenses beyond a fancy screw. JTAG is an interface for testing circuit boards. It's really useful, both at the factory, and if you're trying to learn about a piece of hardware. You have to ask, is the JTAG interface accessible after the device leaves the factory? I originally wrote after it reaches the customer, but protection has to kick in earlier. It's both tricky and important to think very clearly about your goals. For example, what happens when someone replaces the SD card or other storage? Now, that's not to say you have to defend against these attacks. Maybe you want hobbyists to build on your awesome work.…

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