Experts at IT firm Eclypsium have discovered a dangerous vulnerability in two Lenovo webcam models that could turn an innocuous gadget into a hacking tool. They say this is the first documented case using a Linux device.
According to an expert report presented at the DEF CON 33 conference, BadUSB attacks exploit the ability to reprogram the firmware of traditional peripheral devices. Typically, attackers sell or otherwise transfer the infected device to someone, but they can also remotely modify the firmware of, for example, a Linux-based webcam during an initial computer hack.
Once plugged into a PC port, a BadUSB device typically activates a keyboard emulator to open a terminal, execute commands, and install malware. The danger of this type of hack is that the malware will reactivate even after formatting the drive the next time a compromised peripheral is connected.
Although the hacking of the Lenovo 510 FHD and Lenovo Performance FHD webcams has so far been identified, and software updates have been released to eliminate the vulnerability, various flash drives and even keyboards could be compromised in a similar manner. According to experts, companies can address this issue by enforcing firmware signature verification and device authentication.
