boot loader

Paul Kocialkowski paulk at paulk.fr
Sat Feb 22 16:02:40 UTC 2014


Le samedi 22 février 2014 à 11:44 +0200, dimonik, dimonik a écrit :
> Can boot loader contain some spying SW ?

This is kinda hard to say. I've heard that on x86, it is possible that
the BIOS keeps executing code even after it started the system, so
perhaps something like that can happen too.

The bootloader would then have access to all the hardware and could then
use it spy.

My personal belief is that this is unlikely and that the bootloader
doesn't have any code left running at all once it loaded the system.
Since it only runs for a very short period of time and doesn't have any
internet access at this point, it is harmless for privacy (even though
it is a problem for software freedom).

It could however access and change the stored software, or alter the
kernel in ram before executing it. That would lead to more serious
consequences.

-- 
Paul Kocialkowski, Replicant developer

Replicant is a fully free Android distribution

Website:        http://www.replicant.us/
Wiki/Tracker:   http://redmine.replicant.us/
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