Latest Hardware news

Some Old WiMAX Routers Contain OEM Backdoors

Some older routers built on the WiMAX technology contain backdoor accounts that appear to have been introduced somewhere along the devices' supply chain.
- Catalin Cimpanu
- June 07, 2017
- 12:30 PM
- 0
Netgear Enables User Data Collection Feature on Popular Router Model

The latest firmware update for Netgear NightHawk R7000 routers adds support and enables an "analytics system" that collects user data and sends it to the company's servers.
- Catalin Cimpanu
- May 22, 2017
- 12:25 AM
- 1
SSD Drives Vulnerable to Attacks That Corrupt User Data

NAND flash memory chips, the building blocks of solid-state drives (SSDs), include what could be called "programming vulnerabilities" that can be exploited to alter stored data or shorten the SSD's lifespan.
- Catalin Cimpanu
- May 21, 2017
- 07:35 AM
- 0
User-Made Patch Lets Owners of Next-Gen CPUs Install Updates on Windows 7 & 8.1

GitHub user Zeffy has created a patch that removes a limitation that Microsoft imposed on users of 7th generation processors, a limit that prevents users from receiving Windows updates if they still use Windows 7 and 8.1.
- Catalin Cimpanu
- April 18, 2017
- 03:50 PM
- 5
Microsoft Stops Updates for New CPU Models on Windows 7 and 8.1

Starting this month, Microsoft has stopped delivering updates for Windows 7 and 8.1 operating systems running on modern processor models, such as Intel 7th Generation (Kaby Lake) and AMD 7th Generation (Bristol Ridge).
- Catalin Cimpanu
- April 14, 2017
- 04:15 AM
- 5
Is a Smart Oven "Smart" If It Can Be Hijacked via SMS?

Security researchers from Pen Test Partners have discovered pretty glaring security flaws in Aga's line of smart ovens.
- Catalin Cimpanu
- April 13, 2017
- 08:43 AM
- 0
Epic Fail: TP-Link 3G Router Spews Admin Password via SMS

A particular TP-Link router model will spew out its admin password in cleatext to anyone that sends an SMS message to the router's SIM card with a particular script inside, according to German security researcher Jan Hörsch.
- Catalin Cimpanu
- April 10, 2017
- 10:17 AM
- 0
Scientists Create New Material That May Lead to Self-Healing Electronics

Scientists have developed a new type of material that could be used in the future to create self-healing electronics, such as smartphones, batteries, speakers, robotics, and others.
- Catalin Cimpanu
- April 09, 2017
- 03:00 AM
- 0
Hackers Empty ATMs by Drilling One Small Hole

Hackers are using a combination of low and high-tech attacks to make ATMS spit out cash, according to Kaspersky researcher Igor Soumenkov, who presented this novel attack at this year's Security Analyst Summit, taking place in St. Maarten this week.
- Catalin Cimpanu
- April 05, 2017
- 04:10 AM
- 0
This IoT Dildo Has an Embedded WiFi Streaming Camera and Laughable Security

A "smart" dildo with an embedded video camera, sold under the name of Siime Eye and created and assembled by US manufacturer Svakom, contains a slew of security flaws that allow attackers to watch video streams without authorization and even go as far as to replace firmware and completely take over the device.
- Catalin Cimpanu
- April 03, 2017
- 01:45 PM
- 7
Laptop Makers Overestimate Battery Life Stats, Study Finds

A year-long study revealed on Friday that laptop manufacturers seriously overstate their claims on a device's battery life, sometimes by hours, not minutes.
- Catalin Cimpanu
- April 02, 2017
- 09:32 AM
- 6
DDR5 RAM Will Arrive Next Year, Will Be Twice as Fast as DDR4

Work on DDR5 (Double Data Rate 5), a standard for computer memory chips, has already begun, JEDEC, a standards body for the microelectronics industry, said on Thursday.
- Catalin Cimpanu
- April 01, 2017
- 10:30 AM
- 0
USB Canary Sends an SMS When Someone Tinkers with Your USB Ports

A new tool released on GitHub last week can help paranoid sysadmins keep track of whenever someone plugs in or disconnects an USB-based device from high-value workstations.
- Catalin Cimpanu
- March 31, 2017
- 01:00 PM
- 0
Flatbed Scanners Used as Relay Point for Controlling Malware in Air-Gapped Systems

Scientists from two Israeli universities have come up with a way to use flatbed scanners as relay points when sending commands to malware installed on an air-gapped computer. Further research also revealed the scanner could also be used to relay stolen data to a nearby attacker.
- Catalin Cimpanu
- March 30, 2017
- 05:25 PM
- 0
About 90% of Smart TVs Vulnerable to Remote Hacking via Rogue TV Signals

A new attack on smart TVs allows a malicious actor to take over devices using rogue DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting — Terrestrial) signals, get root access on the smart TV, and use the device for all sorts of nasty actions, ranging from DDoS attacks to spying on end users.
- Catalin Cimpanu
- March 29, 2017
- 01:30 PM
- 4
Microsoft Forces Owners of Recent CPU Architectures to Use Windows 10

Users of new CPU architectures will not receive Windows 7 and 8.1 updates anymore, according to a Microsoft support topic published last week.
- Catalin Cimpanu
- March 16, 2017
- 06:27 PM
- 6
Headphone Batteries Explode on Flight, Burn Woman's Face and Hands

A woman traveling on a flight from Beijing, China to Melbourne, Australia suffered burns on her face and hands after her battery-powered headphones exploded.
- Catalin Cimpanu
- March 15, 2017
- 08:00 AM
- 4
Researchers Hack Accelerometers with Sound Waves

Scientists from two US universities have found a way to attack accelerometers by using sound waves, a technique that has allowed them to spoof accelerometer signals and feed devices and applications with fake data.
- Catalin Cimpanu
- March 15, 2017
- 05:40 AM
- 0
"Super Malware" Steals Encryption Keys from Intel SGX Enclaves

In a research paper published at the end of February, a team of five scientists from the Graz University of Technology has described a novel method of leaking data from SGX enclaves, a secure environment created by Intel CPUs for storing sensitive information for each process, such as encryption keys, passwords, and other.
- Catalin Cimpanu
- March 12, 2017
- 03:00 AM
- 0
This Device Works as a Firewall for Your USB Ports

The USG is an USB attachment that allows users to connect USB flash drives and other USB devices to their computer without any of the risks.
- Catalin Cimpanu
- March 11, 2017
- 01:40 PM
- 6