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| Thread ID: 108262 | 2010-03-21 01:28:00 | Is it possible for a hacker to physically damage a computer? | ssssss (2100) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 868889 | 2010-03-21 01:28:00 | ie is it possible for a hacker or virus to install a program that causes physical damage as opposed to software damage? I got terminal crashes on my old laptop at the same time as I appeared to get a virus, which is why I ask. If you are kind enough to answer this post, I won't see it for a week probably. |
ssssss (2100) | ||
| 868890 | 2010-03-21 01:49:00 | The closest definition to "physically" would be to destroy the drivers / firmware of the computer. I have heard of crackers infiltrating a network and disabling the shared printers by corrupting the firmware, thus rendering them useless. The other definition that I can think of is to increase the workload of the computer by means of duplicating running processes, causing CPU to run at 100 degrees or higher. Of course, if the CPU-overheating sensor is working properly, then the computer would auto shut down before the temperature soars higher than 60 degrees (or 70/80 depending on configuration). Cheers :) |
Renmoo (66) | ||
| 868891 | 2010-03-21 02:21:00 | Yes, you can cause physical damage to a computer via software. This can be done in a variety of ways - the easiest method is simply to mess with the voltage controls and set it high enough to fry things... Replacing component firmware can also render things bricked - this can apply to things like drives, network / raid controllers, modems, printers, cpu microcode... the list goes on. Depending on the device, the resulting damage may be physical or not - either way, the result is the same (a nonfunctional device). While not rendering something totally bricked, nuking the BIOS is a sure way to cause havok. Realistically, there's no profit in trashing computer systems - people generally don't bother. There's much more money to be made in sending spam / DDOS / stealing logins / bank account details etc than there is in simply damaging things. ...to increase the workload of the computer by means of duplicating running processes, causing CPU to run at 100 degrees or higher...This won't actually have any effect - any properly set up system will be able to run for hours with the CPU pegged at 100% load with no trouble at all, and not even come close to overheating. If you want to overheat stuff, you generally have to overclock it, or ruin / impair the cooling system. |
Erayd (23) | ||
| 868892 | 2010-03-21 02:46:00 | 100 degree celcius, not 100 percent workload :p My laptop is running at 120 degree celcius at the moment but it is a miracle that the motherboard is still working. |
Renmoo (66) | ||
| 868893 | 2010-03-21 02:53:00 | 100 degree celcius, not 100 percent workload :p My laptop is running at 120 degree celcius at the moment but it is a miracle that the motherboard is still working. I know what you meant - my point was that no properly set up system will get anywhere near that hot - it's simply not possible, even if you load the CPU up to 100%. If your laptop CPU is running that hot you'll be damaging something, and it's probably full of dust. I'm stunned it hasn't shut itself down. |
Erayd (23) | ||
| 868894 | 2010-03-21 04:01:00 | 100 degree celcius, not 100 percent workload :p My laptop is running at 120 degree celcius at the moment but it is a miracle that the motherboard is still working. Faulty temperature sensor, most likely. Erayd is right, any system should be built to have some overhead past it's stock maximum. It's just when sticky fingered tamperers like me start changing voltages and clocks that things get iffy. |
Thebananamonkey (7741) | ||
| 868895 | 2010-03-21 20:44:00 | As erayd said, there's little to be gained from physically damaging a machine, but rather joining it to a botnet and ddos'ing a server, stealing credit-card details, general phishing stuff.. why would you want to kill off a soldier in your own army? Better from a crackers perspective to have a machine "in the army" than to do damage to it ;) | Chilling_Silence (9) | ||
| 868896 | 2010-03-23 21:40:00 | Thanks folks | ssssss (2100) | ||
| 868897 | 2010-03-23 23:22:00 | This can be done in a variety of ways - the easiest method is simply to mess with the voltage controls and set it high enough to fry things... . But unlikely. And as for all the scare stories about it physically damaging things - nah. |
pctek (84) | ||
| 868898 | 2010-03-24 00:21:00 | I happen to know someone who messed about with the wrong people (hacked into russian mafia - silly bugger!) and had his comp fried very soon after - he saw he was getting hit for a few hours and then I guess they found a way in and phzzzt - that was that! .....but of course, now I know that's not possible, as PCtek has enlightened me |
bevy121 (117) | ||
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