If I understand this correctly, you have a system like this:
-machine A has windows and is connected to the Internet.
-machine B is the laser cutter with windows 2000.
-machine A is used to control machine B. The commands are sent
from machine A through a serial cable to machine B.
If this is the case, you question boils down to:
1. "what kind of communication protocol, and what kind of message format is
being used to send messages to machine B?"
2. "what software(s) are handling the messages on machine B?"
3. "what kind of other software is running on machine B, which is accessible
through
the serial port?"
If machine B accepts messages in, say Excel format, it is possibly vulnerable.
If machine B uses windows networking or TCP/IP to communicate over the serial
link,
it is possibly vulnerable.
If machine B has some exploitable service open on it, it is vulnerable.
You get my drift. You have to start from finding out what's on the machines,
and how they communicate. Once you know what you have, you can make a risk
analysis of the situation.
Troy
On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 19:35:25 +0200, Jean Gruneberg
<gruneberg@absamail.co.za> wrote:
Hi all
OK - here is a basic question - sorry if this is totally clueless.
I have a client who runs a heavy engineering shop. To date all his
computerised punches and bend breaks etc. have been driven via a windows
CAD
workstation talking to them on a serial cable - basically a data dump to
the
machine which runs a modified dos based OS.
So he buys a new sheet metal laser cutter and they bring the system online
whilst I'm busy throwing shielded cabling for serial comms to the new
machine - lo and behold the system boots to windows 2000 (the concept of a
high powered laser metal cutting device driven by windows is another
conversation entirely...)
So I have a closer look at the beast and it is basically a pc built into a
very large machine - has all the usual LAN / USB etc. The system even
comes
pre-installed with Norton AV. We (read me) make a management decision not
to park said machine on the LAN (concept of disgruntled employee and said
laser) also the data suite that talks to the laser is now windows based
and
not an old dos prompt data suite to the older machines.
So the question is, is a pc / machine connected to another pc via serial
cable only using specialised windows software to move data to the machine
at
all vulnerable to viruses? Can they transmit themselves across a serial
cable?
Jean
---
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.744 / Virus Database: 496 - Release Date: 2004/08/24
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_______________________________________________
Full-Disclosure - We believe in it.
Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html
_______________________________________________
Full-Disclosure - We believe in it.
Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html
_______________________________________________
Full-Disclosure - We believe in it.
Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html
