[Cryptography] GHCQ Penetration of Belgacom

[dan at geer.org]

hbaker1 writes:
 | >From: dan at geer.org
 | >
 | > | I think it would be very hard to find a backdoor suggested by 
 | > | Norm Hardy.  Modify the CPU to detect when two specific floating 
 | > | point numbers are multiplied.  When they are, execute the next 
 | > | instruction in privileged mode.
 | >
 | >It's my second-hand understanding that it would take perhaps 3,000
 | >gates to implement intentional sensitivity to a pre-designed kill
 | >packet.  The addition of 3,000 gates to any current chipset will
 | >never be found in current hardware, e.g., the iPhone 6 has two
 | >billion transistors on the system chip.
 | >
 | >Others more knowledgeable welcome to correct my understanding.
 | 
 | So Intel&Apple have provided PRC with netlists for their processor
 | chips?
 | 
 | Of course, PRC shouldn't believe them, unless they could also
 | manufacture their own chips from the netlists.


You missed the point well enough that it must have been on purpose.

Nevertheless, to reword in the interest of clarity, hiding something in
hardware is, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, impossible to detect or disprove.

--dan