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Home ยป GSMem: Data Exfiltration from Air-Gapped Computers over GSM Frequencies
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GSMem: Data Exfiltration from Air-Gapped Computers over GSM Frequencies

Authors: 

Mordechai Guri, Assaf Kachlon, Ofer Hasson, Gabi Kedma, Yisroel Mirsky, and Yuval Elovici, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Abstract: 

Air-gapped networks are isolated, separated both logically and physically from public networks. Although the feasibility of invading such systems has been demonstrated in recent years, exfiltration of data from air-gapped networks is still a challenging task. In this paper we present GSMem, a malware that can exfiltrate data through an air-gap over cellular frequencies. Rogue software on an infected target computer modulates and transmits electromagnetic signals at cellular frequencies by invoking specific memory-related instructions and utilizing the multichannel memory architecture to amplify the transmission. Furthermore, we show that the transmitted signals can be received and demodulated by a rootkit placed in the baseband firmware of a nearby cellular phone. We present crucial design issues such as signal generation and reception, data modulation, and transmission detection. We implement a prototype of GSMem consisting of a transmitter and a receiver and evaluate its performance and limitations. Our current results demonstrate its efficacy and feasibility, achieving an effective transmission distance of 1-5.5 meters with a standard mobile phone. When using a dedicated, yet affordable hardware receiver, the effective distance reached over 30 meters.

For more information, watch the video GSMem Breaking The Air-Gap on YouTube.

Mordechai Guri, Ben Gurion University of the Negev

Assaf Kachlon, Ben Gurion University of the Negev

Ofer Hasson, Ben Gurion University of the Negev

Gabi Kedma, Ben Gurion University of the Negev

Yisroel Mirsky, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Yuval Elovici, Ben Gurion University of the Negev

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BibTeX
@inproceedings {190936,
author = {Mordechai Guri and Assaf Kachlon and Ofer Hasson and Gabi Kedma and Yisroel Mirsky and Yuval Elovici},
title = {{GSMem}: Data Exfiltration from {Air-Gapped} Computers over {GSM} Frequencies},
booktitle = {24th USENIX Security Symposium (USENIX Security 15)},
year = {2015},
isbn = {978-1-939133-11-3},
address = {Washington, D.C.},
pages = {849--864},
url = {https://www.usenix.org/conference/usenixsecurity15/technical-sessions/presentation/guri},
publisher = {USENIX Association},
month = aug,
}
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