Who wants to know the truth about the Target compromise?
I wrote a report, while under contract with Target Corp. in 2006, when I worked with their Virtual Server team, and did a security audit. It warned of this EXACT scenario.
I don't know the when or who, but here's the HOW:
1. Target uses a central repository,
2. Target uses trusted keys,
3. Target audits all updates before rolling them out, to look for security problems, BUT:
4. All target servers use "Golden Keys" for SSH connections, and
5. Target uses a single image, that is pushed by the roll out scripts,
6. After audit, engineers have EDIT access to the images that are pushed out.
7. In my team's security audit, we found multiple time bombs in the software.
The TGT exploit was done internally -- this isn't to say that it was an inside job. Contractors are not allowed to connect their laptops/smartphones/tablets to a TGT network. The unofficial "workaround" was pretty simple -- a tunnel in a tunnel. Desktops could be OS "re-purposed" by engineers -- the OSes of choice were Open SuSE, SuSE Enterprise, and RedHat. Occasionally Slackware (like me.
.) The reason? SSH tunnels to home or other "trusted" remote systems (or personal laptops, etc.) and an SSH connection BACK to TGT trusted computers, via the original open tunnel (it's a double tunnel technique that used to be pretty popular with security folks.) The end result? The double tunneled computer had direct administrative access to the TGT network. FULL ACCESS, ROOT privilege, on ALL of the servers.
As to internal connections -- all engineers, Project Managers, Network Analysts, and Sr. Wintel admins were give access to repository servers. In the /etc directory of those repository servers rested files with "golden keys." a simple scp command later, and your desktop (or tunneled remote system) were "trusted" Golden Servers. These are access keys that bypass ALL security checks, password requirements, and audit servers. (It was a "trusted" connection, and double encrypted tunnels, therefore no monitoring or auditing was possible.) When we did the audit, a number of "Time Bomb" programs were found. These were set by (then) current and former Security engineers. One of them, on the Financial Servers (the same ones compromised in this attack) would have set TGT to a 0 sum. We also found a few elevation time bombs (instead of programs destroying, or changing, server codes the time bombs re-established credentials, and elevated them to "allow external" and "wheel+root privilege.)
The how, specifics: With a Golden Key, the holder can access ANY target server, including POS, Rx, Display Wall, DB, and Server images. The drivers for ALL servers, POS systems, Kiosks, and wall systems were kept in the central repository. That means that the uniform POS scanners, with a couple drivers, sat, unprotected internally, on an open drive. Most scripts at TGT were written in Perl, PHP, BaSH, or CSH. We played the "hard to write, hard to read" game. An exploit was injected into an auto-update, most likely with a time bomb and timer (hence the start/stop times.)
Target also uses a centralized billing system, at their corporate headquarters -- and these systems share their golden keys with POS and Rx systems.
Walmart is vulnerable to a similar attack, although their network is really shitty and ugly, and would be a lot more painful to code to. Best Buy Corp., and Wells Fargo though -- they use the EXACT SAME deployment methods. They centralize, and distribute patches via timed pushes. Best Buy uses IBM hardware -- their commercial hardware is uniform, and so a single (or a couple) drivers are all that's needed, in addition to the secondary "forward" software.
I've emailed a few reporters, and a couple security blog sites, to get someone's attention, to share this information -- since they haven't responded, I'm publishing it myself -- if the SS reads this: FUCK YOU, you sent incompetent marshals to get me last time, I want a lawyer.
No one's safe from Corporate America, and ALMOST EVERYONE is vulnerable to the NSA. (Almost. NSA can't touch my private data. I don't put it online -- what they can touch is nothing but smoke, what they can't read, but can find .... They'll NEVER crack, because I encrypt my encrypted shit.)
All of you "nothing to hide, nothing to fear" retarded idiots ... Bet that credit card information is something worth hiding.
Oh -- Target Corporation is my "Golden Standard" of how business should be run in this country. Calculated, mature, thought out processes, and a very "community-centric" corporation. They still should burn for this, though -- they've had almost 10 years to prepare for something like this, and never bothered to implement the security standards we recommended after audit, to keep them PCI compliant, get them SOX compliant, etc., etc.
(This post brought to you by too many
Santa Fe State Pen Ales.)
Sunni, if this runs afoul of your thumbs up on me, I apologize, please delete it, and ban my non-rule-following ass.