Apple Keyboard Firmware Vulnerability Detected By BlackHat Researcher

During the BlackHat conference in Las Vegas, one hacker demonstrated that Apple keyboards contain a flaw that enables cybercrooks to launch key-logging software designed to record keystrokes. Any personal information entered by the users, such as passwords and credit card numbers, can then be swiped by the attackers.

The vulnerability, which stems from a poorly designed firmware upgrade in the keyboard USB buses, enables a rootkit to flourish with a clean reinstallation of the host operating system.

Apple's keyboards contain enough RAM and flash memory -- albeit a small amount -- for hackers to inject key-logging software. Once injected in the Apple keyboard firmware, the key-logging software is almost undetectable by the malware-detection system.

The attack is further enabled by the fact that the keyboard firmware updater is unencrypted and doesn't require validation.

K. Chen, the security researcher who first detected the Apple firmware vulnerability, said that many modern firmware upgrade devices embedded in the keyboards contain cheap microcontrollers that make it difficult to verify cryptographic signatures.

"The security of many of these upgrade mechanisms is very much in question," wrote Chen in a white paper. "For a device as simple in design as a keyboard, it is hard to imagine why a firmware update mechanism is even required. Many other devices have firmware update mechanisms that we believe can also be exploited by attackers for malicious purposes."

During the BlackHat conference, Chen demonstrated how the exploit could be used to obtain passwords, login credentials and other information typed into the system by the user.