HANDHELDS — THE HEADLINES

 2001/2/22 

Palm desktop password bypass

 2001/2/07 

Easy access to confidential Palm records

HANDHELDS — THE LINKS

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HANDHELDS — THE NEWS

2001/2/22

11:38 +0100

Palm desktop password bypass

[Handhelds] The Palm desktop software supports a password protection scheme. Without entering the correct password, you should not be able to view the data. However, there is a simple way to bypass and get rid of the desktop password in version 4.0, writes Secret Ivan.

Run the Palm desktop software, and once it asks you for the password press Alt-F or Alt-H to get to the menu bar. Once you have the menu pulled down navigate to Tools Options and select the Security tab. Once there you uncheck the [ ] require password.

Click OK and then cancel out and exit. The next time you restart the Palm desktop software the password will be gone and anyone can view your data. // c.f. SecuriTeam :: [dre].

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2001/2/07

11:54 +0100

Easy access to confidential Palm records

[Handhelds] We already described the mathematical weakness of the Palm Pilot's password protection system. There are other methods of breaking the Palm's weak security system, assuming the attacker has physical access to the Palm.

Without any technical knowledge, special cables, disassembly of hardware, or any additional software beside that which comes with the Palm itself, anyone with physical access to either the PC used to synchronized the Palm (access to the HotSync program) or to the Palm itself can obtain the private data in a couple of minutes.

The suggestion from Palm to "keep the device about your person" will not prevent this attack — you just need to bring your own Palm in, to where the PC is located. Even if the PC is password protected, the default way that the Hot Sync software is installed enables an attacker to do a HotSync (and thus retrieve the data) even if the workstation is locked (tested under Windows NT 4).

If the user was to set up the PC to not allow this (thus defeating the ease-of-use somewhat) you can always reboot the PC. Under Windows 95/98 you don't need to enter a password (just press [esc] when the password screen appears). Alternatively, reboot the PC using a "boot floppy" and access their Palm files that way (i.e. copy them to a floppy and then do the above process on your own PC somewhere else).

If the PC is strongly secured, and not left unattended, the other approach would be to momentarily get your hands on the target's Palm, and quickly hot sync it to your own PC (e.g. a laptop in your briefcase). You can do this by distracting the target for a moment, or while s/he was out (e.g. getting coffee, going to the bathroom).

This process was tested on: Palm Pilot IIIx, Palm OS(tm) Software v. 3.3, Palm Desktop 3.0.1. // c.f. SecuriTeam :: [dre].

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