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Lest We Remember: Cold Boot Attacks on Encryption Keys

pucitp
Demos
YouTube
1 HN user recommended this demo1 month2011–2020 score 1
Years with an HN recommendation, 2007–2026

It is linked as the original short demonstration that keys can be pulled from RAM after shutdown.

A short Princeton CITP video describing cold boot attacks, where encryption keys remain in DRAM after power loss and can be recovered. It covers the attack against disk encryption such as BitLocker, FileVault and TrueCrypt.

“is a well-made 5-minute introduction by the authors.” (HN, 2011)

1 recommendations · 3 citations · Demos · intro

4 Hacker News comments

From the HN archive; up to 20 kept per video, favoring different commenters. Recommendations first.

@JoachimSchipper Jun 2011 Recommends
on HN thread Instapaper Server Update
Indeed, the encryption keys can be recovered from memory fairly easily. [link] is very readable; [this video] is a well-made 5-minute introduction by the authors.
Short intro by the authors to recovering encryption keys from memory.

Citations, criticism and jokes

@pjin Nov 2011 Cites it
on HN thread Full disk encryption is too good?
2. "with the cryogenic RAM freezing technique, presumably" - errr, no. With the "sit down at the computer and turn off the encryption/copy the data to an external drive technique", I think you'll find. Obvious bullsh*t to anyone technical but sounds 'cool' to your average 14yr old who reads these sort of sites. Errr, actually yes. You may be interested in [1] and [2]. [1] [link] [2] [this video]
Backs up the claim that RAM freezing can recover keys.
@Buge Jan 2020 Cites it
on HN thread BusKill: A kill cord for your laptop
You're right, I think an attack could be possible on some computers if the agents act very quickly. I don't think 30 minutes would be possible though, judging from what is said and shown in the original cold boot video: [this video]
Shows the timing limits of cold boot attacks.
@wongarsu Jan 2020 Cites it
on HN thread BusKill: A kill cord for your laptop
For getting encryption keys from RAM after shutdown there's this video mentioned by another commentor: [this video] For using reflections, there's this paper implementing reading screen content from various things like reading glasses, a can of coke or even the user's eye (including a discussion of limitations): [link] Right now I can't find something on reading keyboard vibrations with lasers, but here's one doing it acoustically and one doing it via acclerometer of a phone on the table: [link] [link]
Shows retrieving encryption keys from RAM after shutdown.

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