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List:       security-basics
Subject:    Re: Wireless mouse basestation transmitting wired keystrokes ?
From:       "Kelly Keeton" <kellyrkeeton () gmail ! com>
Date:       2008-05-29 16:08:54
Message-ID: 77e89e0c0805290908w3980738wa65d57365339f960 () mail ! gmail ! com
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I have never seen this happen I just hooked up a unknown microsoft
model and typed on my keyboard and there was no transmission from the
RF (i have equipment to watch this)

Unless in line I have never seen a OS that would take a keyboard imput
from PS2/USB and spit it back out to another device. Dont mean someone
could but unlikely.

On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 12:03 PM,  <krymson@gmail.com> wrote:
> Chad, I was thinking the same thing. But after a while, I wonder...
> 
> 
> BASE ------> wireless mouse
> 
> STATION ---> wireless keyboard (not present)
> 
> -----------> wired keyboard
> 
> 
> I guess the question is whether the base station is smart enough to turn off the \
> wireless transmit if no wireless keyboard is present. Or whether wired keyboard \
> inputs (key press -> system) is repeated on the wireless port (not sure why it \
> would need to be). But, while it doesn't make sense to me, I *could* envision that \
> a simple, dumb base station could do exactly as described. Few consumer products \
> are vetted as well as we'd like to think! 
> 
> Sergio: If the person you talked to is still available, definitely ask him for his \
> source for that info. 
> 
> Sounds like an excellent research opportunity.
> 
> 
> 
> <- snip ->
> 
> On Mon, May 26, 2008 at 04:24:26PM -0500, Sergio Castro wrote:
> 
> > All sorts of electromagnetic emissions can be intercepted straight from
> 
> > devices.
> 
> > Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TEMPEST
> 
> 
> While true, that doesn't really answer the question. The question was
> 
> whether the base unit for a wireless mouse/keyboard combination would
> 
> transmit keystrokes from a "wired" keyboard.
> 
> 
> The answer might be "it depends", but unless there's something actually
> 
> wrong with the way the base unit's controlling software was designed,
> 
> this probably doesn't actually happen. No reason for a wireless keyboard
> 
> base unit to broadcast keystroke data occurs to me at all, other than
> 
> design flaws. To be certain, however, I guess you'd have to use an RF
> 
> receiver (assuming it's an RF wireless base unit) to capture any
> 
> emissions and examine them for the presence of keystroke data.
> 
> 
> I tend to think it would be more likely that using a wireless keyboard
> 
> might involve broadcast of (unencrypted) keystroke data, since wireless
> 
> peripheral device manufacturers probably don't put nearly enough effort
> 
> into making sure your system is secure. It is for this reason that,
> 
> while I may use a wireless mouse with a system where I'll be entering
> 
> passwords, I will *not* use a wireless keyboard with such a system at
> 
> this time.
> 
> 
> > 
> 
> 
> OP is below:
> 
> 
> > -----Mensaje original-----
> 
> > De: listbounce (at) securityfocus (dot) com [email concealed] [mailto:listbounce \
> > (at) securityfocus (dot) com [email concealed]] En
> 
> > nombre de cleo_str8 (at) hotmail (dot) com [email concealed]
> 
> > Enviado el: Lunes, 26 de Mayo de 2008 03:25 p.m.
> 
> > Para: security-basics (at) securityfocus (dot) com [email concealed]
> 
> > Asunto: Wireless mouse basestation transmitting wired keystrokes ?
> 
> > 
> 
> > I taked to a guy who were claiming that if you have a wireless mouse, with a
> 
> > basestation that also is able to use a wireless keyboard. Then if a wired
> 
> > keyboard is used instead, there is a risk for the basestation to transmit
> 
> > the keystroke onto the wireless, as some kind of acknowledge to the
> 
> > non-existing keyboard.
> 
> > 
> 
> > I'm not sure this is the right list to ask this, but am very interested in a
> 
> > answer to this claim. Does anybody know if this is true or false ?
> 
> > 
> 
> > Thanks, Peter
> 


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