Locking down the Thunderbolt interface
Lightning Protection

© Photo by Micah Tindell on Unsplash
The Thunderbolt interface supports extremely fast data transfer rates, but be careful about what you plug into your port, because Thunderbolt devices access memory directly. We'll show you some Linux tools for locking down your Thunderbolt interface.
The Thunderbolt interface is an interface used for connecting peripheral devices to many modern computers. Thunderbolt connections (with the familiar lightning arrow symbol – see Figure 1) support fast transfer of audio, video, and other data over a single cable and can also charge devices connected through the same interface.
The Thunderbolt specification was developed by Intel in collaboration with Apple. Many users might think of Thunderbolt in the context of Apple hardware. Apple actually started shipping MacBook Pro models with the interface back in 2011 (see the box entitled "Thunderbolt Through the Years"). Thunderbolt has become a common feature on MacBook computers, as well as many other Intel-based systems.
Through the years, however, the power and speed of Thunderbolt has led to some security issues. Like other technologies that communicate with a system via PCI Express (PCIe), Firewire, or similar protocols, Thunderbolt supports direct access to system memory. Directly accessing memory enables fast data transfer rates, but it also poses a security risk, because many different components access memory at the same time, which creates the potential for a DMA attack. (A DMA attack involves unauthorized access to the system memory in order to read arbitrary data.)
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Direct Download
Read full article as PDF:
Price $2.95
News
-
KaOS 2022.06 Now Available With KDE Plasma 5.25
The newest iteration of KaOS Linux not only adds the latest KDE Plasma desktop but sets LibreOffice as the default.
-
Manjaro 21.3.0 Is Now Available
Manjaro “Ruah” has been released and includes the latest Calamares installer, GNOME 42, and much more.
-
SpiralLinux is a New Linux Distribution Focused on Simplicity
A new Linux distribution, from the creator of GeckoLinux, is a Debian-based operating system with a focus on simplicity and ease of use.
-
HP Dev One Linux Laptop is Now Available for Pre-Order
The System76/HP collaboration Dev One laptop, geared toward developers, is now available for pre-order.
-
NixOS 22.5 Is Now Available
The latest release of NixOS with a much-improved package manager and a user-friendly graphical installer.
-
System76 Teams up with HP to Create the Dev One Laptop
HP and System76 have come together to develop a new laptop, powered by Pop!_OS and aimed toward developers.
-
Titan Linux is a New KDE Linux Based on Debian Stable
Titan Linux is a new Debian-based Linux distribution that features the KDE Plasma desktop with a focus on usability and performance.
-
Danielle Foré Has an Update for elementary OS 7
Now that Ubuntu 22.04 has been released, the team behind elementary OS is preparing for the upcoming 7.0 release.
-
Linux New Media Launches Open Source JobHub
New job website focuses on connecting technical and non-technical professionals with organizations in open source.
-
Ubuntu Cinnamon 22.04 Now Available
Ubuntu Cinnamon 22.04 has been released with all the additions from upstream as well as other features and improvements.