Air-gapped computers are also hackable

Experts at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have hacked offline computers – i.e. systems that are not connected to a network such as the Internet.

These so-called “air-gapped computers” are used in sensitive environments where security and isolation are crucial to prevent the loss of private and confidential information. And such systems previously appeared to be invulnerable.

Radio waves read out

To show that it is still possible to hack such a computer, the researchers have developed a type of malware that manipulates the RAM of a target computer so that it generates very weak radio signals. The software has been designed so that the radio waves generated reflect the data stored in the RAM components and encrypt it in such a way that it can be read by a nearby device.

The researchers tested their idea by infecting an air-gapped computer and then setting up another device nearby to listen to the radio waves emitted by the test computer using a simple antenna. The latter decoded the signals and made the messages they contained visible using software running on the second computer.

Currently difficult to implement

In this way, the team was able to capture passwords, keystrokes and other types of data, and in some cases even small images. Up to 1,000 bits per second can be intercepted. However, the team admits that in the real world it would be difficult to infect and hack a computer in this way. But it also notes that it would not be impossible.

(pd/press release)