[FreeBSD-Announce] FreeBSD Errata Notice FreeBSD-EN-14:01.random

[Adam Strohl]

On 1/16/2014 2:08, Mike Tancsa wrote:
> On 1/15/2014 1:53 PM, Darren Pilgrim wrote:
>>
>> Yes, that's an obvious consequence of a compromised RNG; but that's not
>> what I was asking.  I'm asking how the attacker could compromise the
>> hardware RNG without also obtaining effectively unfettered access to the
>> entire system.
>
> I think the fear is at manufacturing time.  i.e. the suspicion is that
> some govt agency asked a design weakness be built in.  Whether thats
> true or a reasonable fear or not, I am not one to say....

To 2nd this, it is assumed at this point that this has happened:

http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/12/we-cannot-trust-intel-and-vias-chip-based-crypto-freebsd-developers-say/