[Cryptography] Smart electricity meters can be dangerously insecure, warns expert

Peter Gutmann pgut001 at cs.auckland.ac.nz
Mon Jan 2 00:22:28 EST 2017


Cat Okita <cat at reptiles.org> writes:

>if you look at the data sheets for smart meters (eg:
>http://sensus.com/products/icona/), remote service connect/disconnect is one
>of the features.

Ugh, so it is.  For people who don't want to click their way through all the
links, the data sheet for the iConA (Gen 4) Electric Meter says:

  Remote Disconnect 
  •  iConA type iSA4 - Forms 1S-RD, 2S-RD, 12S-RD, 25S-RD 
  •  2-Pole, single-throw 
  •  Magnetic latching 
  •  Rating: 200 A, 240 VAC, 60Hz, PF 0.7/0.8 lagging 
  •  Endurance: 5000 cycles, 200 A, 240 VAC, 60 Hz, 
     PF 0.7/0.8 lagging and 25000 cycles at no load
  •  Overload: 50 OPS, 300 A, 240 VAC, 60 Hz, PF 1.0 
  •  Current Withstand: Per IEC 1036, ANSI C12.1:7,000 A  
     Peak (5,000 Amps rms) 240 VAC, 60 Hz,      
     for 6 cycles at 0.7/0.8 PF with normal operation after  
     exposure; 12,000 Amps rms for 4 cycles with fail safe  
     conditions after exposure

Most of the models (from that line) are advertised with a remote disconnect
option.

So you've got a mass of more or less insecure devices for which you could
create the electrical equivalent of a water hammer...

Peter.


More information about the cryptography mailing list