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BT modems have NSA back-door, claim researchers

Kurayamino
Newbie
Posts: 9
Registered: ‎06-07-2009

BT modems have NSA back-door, claim researchers

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2013/12/17/bt-back-door/1 Link to article written on bit-tech.
http://cryptome.org/2013/12/Full-Disclosure.pdf link to .pdf file which is mentioned in said bit-tech article.
I was reading tech news as I often do as a geek and found this article. Given that plusnet fibre comes with an openreach modem are plusnet willing to make a statement or investigate this issue further?
11 REPLIES 11
pwatson
Rising Star
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Registered: ‎26-11-2012

Re: BT modems have NSA back-door, claim researchers

What a load of complete rubbish that article is!
There is, I believe, a method that BT can remotely manage the modem but the speculation that this connection can be be used for monitoring is completely based on the modem being a router.  Although the modem can be used s a router, the normal mode of working is to use a PPPoE connection from a downstream router so the modem isn't actually involved in IP routing - it's simply passing Ethernet frames.  The only monitoring possible would be captures of frames a la Wireshark.
If the article can't get the fundamental method of the connection right then the rest can be rightly dismissed as twaddle IMHO!!
ejs
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Registered: ‎10-06-2010

Re: BT modems have NSA back-door, claim researchers

I doubt it's worth bothering to respond to that PDF, any rebuttal would just be taken as further evidence of the cover-up of the conspiracy.
Perhaps the PDF itself was produced by the NSA/GCHQ in order to make the people looking for any hidden backdoors look like complete idiots - who else would have the time to write 50 pages of rubbish?
jelv
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Re: BT modems have NSA back-door, claim researchers

A&A's comments about this: http://status.aa.net.uk/apost.cgi?incident=1871
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
James
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Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: BT modems have NSA back-door, claim researchers

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2013/12/confusion-alleged-gchq-nsa-backdoor-bt-fttc-modems.html
ISP Review notes the article as an interesting conspiracy theory, nothing else.
dvorak
Moderator
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Re: BT modems have NSA back-door, claim researchers

I've wrapped my modem in tin foil just in case.
Customer / Moderator
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pjmarsh
Superuser
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Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: BT modems have NSA back-door, claim researchers

Make sure it's wrapped up tight, I hear the backup communications from them to the NSA is via smoke signals  Tongue

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

jelv
Seasoned Hero
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Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: BT modems have NSA back-door, claim researchers

Using Google or even just visiting any web page carries far more risk than anything in the BT modem!
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
pwatson
Rising Star
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Registered: ‎26-11-2012

Re: BT modems have NSA back-door, claim researchers

Quote from: jelv
A&A's comments about this: http://status.aa.net.uk/apost.cgi?incident=1871

And their owner's blog...
http://revk.www.me.uk/2013/12/paraniod-ravings.html?m=1
DaveyH
Champion
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Registered: ‎15-11-2012

Re: BT modems have NSA back-door, claim researchers

Pure FUD...
30FTTC06
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Registered: ‎18-02-2013

Re: BT modems have NSA back-door, claim researchers

umm, I got a old sainsburys plastic bag, will that hold back the The Little Snoopers from my leaky modem cus i need the tin-foil for the Turkey!
nanotm
Pro
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Registered: ‎11-02-2013

Re: BT modems have NSA back-door, claim researchers

wait till they explain how DPI works........(Deep Packet Inspection)
as for the "hidden access point" its been a pretty well known "secret" for years, it was all over the daily mail etc back in 06 when the HH 1 was released as a security problem because anyone within wifi range of the router could manually set there ip address to the backdoor range and take control of it (which actually happened in the wild  a few times before some authentication system was added )
no doubt  something equally tinfoil hat worthy will appear in another year or two again with some sort of data mining connotations to be secretly channelled through the Nasty Secret Agency and / or Girls Come Home Quietly for some nefarious purposes so that "Big Brother" (why would a TV show be interested) can watch your every digital action.......
just because your paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you