Some people protect their data by securing their system with a password. Researchers have now cracked a lock with a screwdriver.
Many users secure their data with security features. A locked BIOS is one of these options. To start the computer, the BIOS must be unlocked. Employees of a security company have now shown how to bypass a locked BIOS just with a screwdriver.
It checks connected system devices like the graphics card and RAM and then loads the operating system.
A chip on the motherboard can be short-circuited
As the sites Techspot and 3djuegos report, the company “CyberCX” wanted to crack the BIOS password of “Lenovo L440” laptops. These are devices with a 14-inch HD display from 2013. Inside is an Intel Core i5-4330M, 4 GB RAM, and a 500 GB hard drive.
The researchers chose to attack the EEPROM chip. This is a small chip that stores information even without power supply. If you turn off your computer, the data on the chip remains intact.
Since the laptops had two chips that were similar to the EEPROM, they first had to find the right chip. Once they found the correct chip, it was very easy to bypass the BIOS, which is why they summarized the experience in three steps:
- Locate the correct EEPROM chip.
- Find the correct SCL and SDA pins.
- Then, the SCL and SDA pins must be short-circuited at the right moment.
If done at the right time, you can access the BIOS without needing the password. In the next step, you can then disable the password.
Only older devices are vulnerable to the trick
Why is it not so easy with modern devices? This trick only works on older laptops, as modern devices are built with a combined component rather than two separate components.
Therefore, it is much more difficult to perform this task on modern devices, as you can no longer easily short-circuit the chip.
Do you think your password is safe? A graphic shows you how long it takes hackers to crack it
