IT Baseline Protection Manual - The Information Warfare Site

Threats Catalogue Deliberate Acts Remarks
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T 5.82 Manipulation of a cryptomodule
A perpetrator can attempt to manipulate a cryptomodule in order to read secret
codes, alter the codes or even alter vital security parameters. A cryptomodule
can be manipulated in various ways, for example it can contain:
- a super password which can get round all other passwords.
- unregistered test modes through which sensitive areas can be accessed at
any time.
- Trojan horses, i.e. software which, alongside its actual task, performs
actions which cannot be recognised directly, such as recording passwords.
- manipulated access rights to certain commands
. Other examples of such attacks include:
- modifying cryptographic codes,
- impairing the internal code generation, e.g. by manipulating the random
number generator,
- modifying the processes within the cryptomodule,
- modifying the source code or the executable code of the cryptomodule,
- exceeding or falling below the permissible range of the cryptomodule's
voltage supply, temperature, EMC limits, etc.
When the cryptomodule is manipulated, the perpetrator will usually try to
conceal the attack so that the user believes the cryptomodule to be working
correctly at first glance, although it is actually in an insecure state. There are,
nevertheless, also destructive attacks in which perpetrators consciously resign
themselves to destroying the cryptomodule, for example if they wish to obtain
information on how the cryptomodule functions or read the cryptographic
code.
A perpetrator can attempt to attack the cryptomodule at the user's site or steal
it. If the user's site is poorly protected, the manipulation may be performed
extremely rapidly and may thereby remain unnoticed for a long time. By
stealing cryptomodules, a perpetrator can obtain important information on
how a component can most easily be manipulated. The stolen components can
be used to obtain sensitive information such as codes, software or knowledge
of hardware security mechanisms. However, the stolen component can also be
used to fake an authentic cryptomodule.
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IT-Baseline Protection Manual: Oktober 2000