New Whitepaper Claims GPUs Threaten Malware Security

Intel has a built in virus code or tool in their processors perhaps the GPU could do the same.

Alarmist BS.

Code running on the GPU can't access the framebuffer, so their "show one url while at another" exploit is science fiction. It's not "unfortunate" that it doesn't work today - it's locked out for the very reason that it would add a security hole and is not "inevitable" as they claim.

The keyword here is gpu-*assisted* malware. Malware running on your GPU isn't going to be able to do diddly without a detectable CPU process to talk to and handle i/o. Also, the malware's going to disappear when you flip the power switch unless it writes itself to your disks (again, detectable viral behavior).

I don't know 3vi1. Generally speaking, I would say, where there is a will, there is a way.

Idk I would have to agree with 3vi1 on this one. Sure any program can take advantage of the GPUs power, but it would still have to be running a detectable CPU process to do much of anything.

idk who is smarter here, Dave or 3vi1 but Dave sounds like he knows a way to do it but isn't telling us :P.

3vi1:

Also, the malware's going to disappear when you flip the power switch unless it writes itself to your disks (again, detectable viral behavior).

That's immediately what I thought. Sure if it somehow loaded itself from a website it will run on your computer.... but unless it writes itself to the hard drive... it will be gone as soon as you flip the power switch.

The GPU has DMA(direct memory access) so the virus can bypass the CPU.... but something is going to have to tell it to do that... and that something will run on the CPU before anything reaches the GPU.

Also, don't most(if not all) HIDS' scan what's running in ram? No matter what, the virus will have to hit system memory, and AV programs should have no problem seeing it.

3vi1:

Also, the malware's going to disappear when you flip the power switch unless it writes itself to your disks

Of course it will store itself on your ready-boost thumb drive!

There are many countries all across the globe where the people have nothing better to do than figure this stuff out!

My theory is that attacks either come from antivirus companies or other scammers with a political agenda. If you use a BB gun the wrong way then dad should take it and wrap it around a tree, that way you can never use it again.

Instead of giving them jobs for their creative Malware, take away their computers so they can even have porn anymore!

This is also why I don't keep my computers constantly hooked to the Internet. I connect to specific sites only for a short time, except for my HH addiction:P

Does anyone here know what DMA is? 3vi1?..........

Uhhhh... if that's sarcasm... see my post above...

If that is a legitimate question.... See my post above...  or see the following link...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_memory_access

DMA is Direct Memory Access and yeah... it could be a little scary in this case.

GPU assisted. so they'll use your GPU's processing power to crack some banks encryption scheme while you surf. And most won't even notice. COOL!

digitaldd:

GPU assisted. so they'll use your GPU's processing power to crack some banks encryption scheme while you surf.

Yeah, and it will happen while you're logged into your account too. Then you get to take the federal rap for bank robbery!

Gpu antivirus? maybe they would just add it or improve GPU Drivers to at least BLOCK malwares?

Anima,

"My theory is that attacks either come from antivirus companies or other scammers with a political agenda."

The concept of attacks coming from kids in their basement is ten years out of date; the idea that Norton or McAfee bankrolls these attacks is ludicrous. Malware and spam is a very corporate business these days. If you want to send a few billion emails advertising your illegal spam products, you don't contact the nerd down the street, you get in touch with the right sort of Russian corporation.

I've written extensively on this topic elsewhere; I can produce links if you're curious.

You know what. I take it all back. I am scared. My mom just called me and told me that her PC was running slow and that a while back she had done a virus scan and it didn't find to many so it can't be that. Then I realize that is the average PC user

bob_on_the_cob:

she had done a virus scan and it didn't find to many

It didn't find too many? Ha-Ha! Lost Pepsi through the nose when I read that!

Ok, I'm back after changing my shirt. Have a long talk with Mom dude.

EDIT: I do free computer work for a lady across the street. She can't afford to pay for help, yet she needs help all of the time. Virus is her middle name. (I think that her grand-kids are doing it)

I finally cloned her drive when I went over there and showed her how to save important docs and files onto a 16GB flash drive. Already I have restored her system from my cloned source-drive once. It goes much faster now!

I want to alleviate the myth of GPU DMA. There is no DMA'ing currently available from the GPU. For data to be transferred back and forth, there has to be memory allocation done on the host which implicitly means that there is CPU involvement. There is something called Zero Copy in which the GPU reads from host memory, but this STILL requires obtaining a pointer to host memory, again requiring the CPU.

If you don't believe it go read the CUDA documentation.

That would drive me crazy neil lol

I've worked with people like that.... You want to help them... but at what point does it become them taking advantage of you? Gotta draw the line somewhere.

acarzt:

Gotta draw the line somewhere.

She brings over some of the best country cooking that you'll ever taste, and she does it a lot.

She's always been a good neighbor to us, so I can put up with the occasional repairs, since I now have a clone of her drive to use!

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see the harm in DMA access - since it would only allow access to memory that the same process has allocated (just like every other program in the world).

3vi1:

I don't see the harm in DMA access

As long as it doesn't impregnate anything while it's there!,.................

Clamport,

As I recall, DMA was added in the AGP days as a method for allowing the GPU to copy texture data from host memory without talking to the CPU. As far as I'm aware, this function was carried over to PCI-E. Are you stating that it wasn't, or referring to using DMA for other purposes?