A group of researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Israeli research center have produced a new hacking device that can steal encryption keys “out of the air.”
The device cannot be stopped by disabling Wi-Fi networks or turning off Bluetooth because the device doesn’t use standard communication methods to steal data. The device uses radio waves emitted from computer processors to steal encryption keys.
Because the device is about the size of a piece of pita bread, the team of researchers have named the device PITA (Portable Instrument for Trace Acquisition).
Researchers further explain how the device works: “The PITA consists of a bunch of off-the-shelf parts and it runs on four AA batteries. Using an antenna that can read electromagnetic waves emitted by computer processors from up to 19 inches away, the device can swipe RSA and ElGamal data and decrypt it. Stolen data is then stored locally on the device’s microSD card, or the PITA can transmit data over Wi-Fi to the attacker’s computer,” according to the team’s paper.
PITA can be produced using widely available parts and materials that cost less than a total of $300.
The team will present its discovery and the device at the Workshop on Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems in September.
