Unplug And Pray UPNP - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Sionyn
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2013, 11:29:50 am
content: Internet Controlled Power Outlet Good or Bad idea You DecideThe Belkin WeMo is a small, WiFi connected outlet controlled by a smartphone that incorporates a server and relay switching that turns on and off a socket outlet. It’s an interesting device, but of course there are a few security implications of having your electric kettle connected to the Internet.Unfortunately this device is using a flawed UPNP stack recently exposed i wrote a post yesterday. A Guy named Daniel has written a POC to exploit this. Whiles it may not look to dangerous turning his lamp on and off this poses a real probleme with a device that uses high current.

author: saturation
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2013, 12:34:37 pm
content: I'm not sure Internet control of anything mission critical is a good idea today; even if your protocol is reliable, the network still has to catch up to POTS. The same can be said of cellular phones. POTS is often a benchmark for network quality.I don't have stats handy, but in the most recent hurricane of some notoriety, Sandy, in eastern USA, and many I've been through in the past 10 years, the only thing working is typically the POTS line.http://www.thestreet.com/story/11752699/1/cell-phone-internet-service-crippled-by-hurricane-sandy.html

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2013, 01:14:51 pm
content: Check outhttp://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/922681for more details! Latest news suggest that all network devices with Broadcom chipsets are vulnerable, since they share the same firmware framework.

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2013, 01:36:14 pm
content: Umm, who puts Linux on a wifi-controlled relay? Surely a simple wifi chipset plus microcontroller would do the job. Guess budget wasn't a big concern?

author: Arrow
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2013, 01:41:42 pm
content: I preferred to use my regular cell phone where the system ask me for a password, and on my turn I can activate or deactivate devices.This might be outdated but less vulnerable for hacking.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2013, 02:32:08 pm
content: Quote from: tom66 on February 01, 2013, 01:36:14 pmHave you seen the price of a WeMo? Of course budget wasn't a concern. Punters are too ignorant to realise this is a drop dead simple device we've been able to make at home for twenty years. They see it as magic.

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2013, 01:43:19 am
content: Now my plug socket can kernel panic too!I have an X10-type system I bought in a charity shop for £10 total, it even came with a remote of some kind. No app for iPhone, so obviously useless -- after all, I really wanted to be able to remotely control my lights from Spain.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2013, 03:11:16 am
content: Quote from: saturation on February 01, 2013, 12:34:37 pmStill can't beat satellite for emergency communications...

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2013, 01:57:37 pm
content: Ha ha.. this would actually be useful to me. If it was just a few dollars.Here I have two buildings, some distance apart. One contains the cable modem, wifi-router, 16 port switch, printer, and a few computers. There's one underground cat-5 cable from there to my workshop.Now and then either the cable modem or router crashes. Only fix is to walk up there, open the wiring cupboard and cycle the power.Somewhere way down my chores priority list is to use a couple of wires on another multi-core already between the buildings to control a physical relay on the mains outlet to all the net gear in that cupboard.Instead I could have this thing on the LAN, with everything in the cupboard (including itself?), wired to it's power outlet.So the router dies again, but everything else still has its DHCP assigned address and the switch still works, so I could cycle the power via the LAN.But no... I like the mechanical relay idea better.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2013, 02:06:56 pm
content: Simple way will be to get 2 POE injectors and use the one to inject 12V to power a relay that has the mains fed via it's normally closed contacts. No extra wire, and no extra power use on devices, only power to reset.

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2013, 03:20:48 pm
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on February 02, 2013, 01:57:37 pmA screened/shielded twisted pair cable between buildings can cause ground/earth issues. A glass fiber (multimode, 850nm) and a pair of TX-FX/SX converters (if the switches don't got some SFP ports) would be much better. Just a advise from a professional packet/frame/cell mangler :-)

author: saturation
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2013, 05:20:17 pm
content: Its certainly a good option, but you can always make new connections until you succeed.http://www.globalcomsatphone.com/iridium/guarantee.htmlAlso, most systems are prone to clogging by volume:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_phone#Cost_of_a_satellite_phoneA backup for POTS that is cost effective and practical is a battery powered handheld CB radio, so can get someone when in range.Quote from: NiHaoMike on February 02, 2013, 03:11:16 am