Introduction
In today’s interconnected world, the cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, and one of the persistent threats that has garnered significant attention is hardware supply chain attacks on mobile devices. We briefly touched on the supply chain in our blog post all about SBOM, or Software Bill of Materials. While this may sound alarming, it’s important to note that such attacks are not a new phenomenon. They have been a concern for cybersecurity experts for years, and the industry has developed robust measures to mitigate these risks.
It’s crucial to dispel any notions of conspiracy theories surrounding hardware supply chain attacks. However, understanding the importance of these attacks is essential for everyone. Knowing what’s inside the devices you purchase and ensuring they are free from tampering is vital for maintaining security and privacy.
As the line between cyber and physical security blurs, understanding the implications of hardware supply chain attacks becomes essential for safeguarding both military and civilian infrastructures. This article delves into the evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats posed by such attacks, emphasizing the urgent need for robust countermeasures to protect our mobile devices from similar exploits.
A Growing Danger
Historically, much of the focus in cybersecurity has been on software-related attacks—malware, phishing, and network breaches. However, hardware-based attacks present an even more insidious threat as unlike software, which can often be patched or upgraded, hardware vulnerabilities are deeply embedded and difficult to detect or mitigate once they’ve entered the supply chain.
A hardware supply chain attack typically occurs when malicious actors interfere with the production, assembly, or distribution of physical components; compromised parts are integrated into devices like smartphones, tablets, or communication tools, often without the end-users—or even manufacturers—realizing they have been tampered with.
One example is the 2018 Bloomberg Businessweek report, which alleged that foreign actors had inserted malicious chips into Supermicro server motherboards during the manufacturing process. This compromised hardware was reportedly used by major technology companies and government agencies, although some parties involved disputed the accuracy of these claims.
Another example is the 2015 discovery by Kaspersky Lab of the Equation Group, which revealed a series of sophisticated malware implants in hard drive firmware. The Equation Group, believed to be linked to the NSA, used these implants to establish persistent backdoors in targeted systems, showcasing the potential for hardware-based cyber espionage.
What makes these attacks particularly dangerous is that unlike anti-virus software, firewalls, and encryption protocols that all operate within the digital space, hardware-based attacks do take place at the physical level, circumventing these protections entirely.
Implications for Mobile Devices
Mobile devices are especially vulnerable to hardware supply chain attacks due to the complexity and globalization of their manufacturing processes, with components for a single smartphone or tablet coming from multiple countries and be assembled in different regions, making it extremely difficult to trace the origins of every single part.
Furthermore, mobile devices are omnipresent in modern life, used not only for communication but also for sensitive activities such as banking, accessing government services, and controlling critical infrastructure. A compromised mobile device could become a gateway for surveillance, espionage, or sabotage, as it can secretly transmit data, disable key functions, or even act as a trigger for more destructive physical effects, as seen in the recent attack against Hezbollah.
Challenges
Detecting tampered hardware is a monumental challenge, as unlike software anomalies that can be flagged by intrusion detection systems, hardware manipulations often go unnoticed until it is too late.
The process of manufacturing and distributing hardware involves multiple stages and often opaque supply chains, making it difficult to enforce security at every step.
For example, a seemingly innocuous microchip could be compromised during its production in one country, pass through several intermediaries, and end up embedded within a mobile device in another country; by the time the device reaches its final user, the hardware modification may be virtually undetectable—until the malicious functionality is activated.
Government agencies and major corporations are beginning to take notice of these risks, but the solutions are not straightforward, as comprehensive defense against hardware supply chain attacks requires an unprecedented level of transparency and security cooperation among manufacturers, governments, and suppliers.
Prevention and Mitigation Measures
To mitigate the risks associated with hardware supply chain attacks, several strategies need to be implemented across the entire supply chain.
Audit, Remove, and Replace
It is crucial for organizations to regularly and automatically audit their mobile fleet, to identify devices from untrusted suppliers that may pose security risks, and replacing them with trusted brands helps, preventing supply chain attacks and ensuring secure communication and data protection within the organization's network.
Another practical example is the "rip and replace" process in the U.S. telecom industry, a government-led initiative to remove equipment from foreign actors due to national security concerns, raising fears of espionage or supply chain attacks where compromised telecom equipment could be exploited for surveillance or disruptions.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established this program to safeguard U.S. telecom networks, particularly focusing on rural and smaller operators that had used affordable Chinese technology. The government is offering financial assistance through the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program to help these carriers replace the banned equipment with trusted alternatives. This initiative is part of a broader U.S. strategy to protect critical infrastructure and minimize the risks posed by foreign technology from potentially adversarial nations.
Trusted Suppliers
To prevent supply chain attacks, it is crucial for organizations to purchase mobile devices from certified, trusted suppliers rather than from unverified sources like online marketplaces (e.g., eBay), as these suppliers may unknowingly or deliberately sell compromised devices embedded with malware or vulnerabilities that could allow attackers to infiltrate an organization's network.
For example, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has banned some manufacturers and their products preventing federal agencies, employees, and other authorized organizations to purchase products and services from such vendors, as they represent a potential threat to national security, and are prohibited by law and regulations.
This is however more difficult when it comes to employees bringing their own devices (BYOD), which are likely not sourced from trusted suppliers, as those personal devices may have been compromised with malicious software or faulty hardware, providing attackers with an entry point to sensitive corporate data or systems. Therefore, ensuring that all devices come from certified sources is vital to maintaining a secure IT infrastructure and minimizing the risk of supply chain attacks.
NIST 800-124 Rev 2 “Guidelines for Managing the Security of Mobile Devices in the Enterprise” encourages organizations to use utilize already validated product lists when procuring their mobile technology to “reduce the risk of acquiring devices or software with embedded vulnerabilities.” Examples of this include NSA’s National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) accreditation and NIST’s Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) approval for cryptographic algorithms. NIST 800-53 codifies this recommendation as a requirement to limit use of COTS products to only those that have been successfully validated against NIAP or at a minimum FIPS if no NIAP Protection Profile exists. Federal procurement vehicles like GSA’s Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) contract provide a methodology for Federal Agencies to procure mobile devices and wireless services from trusted and authorized partners. By purchasing devices from vendors validated against these security standards, organizations are able to minimize the risk associated with procuring compromised devices. Furthermore, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) prohibits Federal Agencies from procuring devices from banned oversees vendors.
Collaboration and Information Sharing
Governments, manufacturers, and cybersecurity experts need to foment collaboration to share information about hardware vulnerabilities, threats, and attack patterns, helping to build a global defense framework against supply chain tampering.
Conclusion
The recent cases of tampered devices highlight the evolving nature of cybersecurity threats, with hardware supply chain attacks, particularly on mobile devices, presenting a unique challenge because of their capacity to circumvent digital defenses and integrate deep into the infrastructure of everyday life. As our reliance on mobile technology continues to grow, so does the risk that malicious actors will exploit these devices for both cyber and physical assaults.
Organizations, governments, manufacturers, and cybersecurity professionals must work in collaboration to protect the integrity of hardware supply chains, to prevent far-reaching consequences, from breaches of personal data to catastrophic physical attacks, in a world increasingly intertwined with mobile technology.