Experts of the company Fox-IT developed a method of attack on third-party channels, allowing using inexpensive equipment to intercept the AES-256 encryption key from a distance of 1 m.
The encryption-key-sniffing rig consists of a magnetic loop antenna, an external amplifier, bandpass filters, and a software-defined radio receiver USB stick. Experts were able to fix the electromagnetic radiation of the attacking computer and in just five minutes to intercept the encryption key using available ready-made electronic components. Researchers managed to reduce this time to 50 seconds, bringing the equipment closer to a distance of 30 cm.
As experts explained, the time of obtaining the key is reduced, if you bring the device closer to the attacked computer. This is due to the fact that as far as distance from the system the radio signals become weaker. This technique can be improved with more expensive equipment.
You can see in the Catalin Simpana’s post with the nuances of the collected device. You can see in the post Catalin Simpana with the nuances of the collected device.
