YubiKey Cloning Attack
Summary
A YubiKey is a hardware authentication device (Hardware-Token) produced by Yubico. It provides an additional Layer of security for logging into online accounts. It functions as a physical security token for 2-Factor-Authentication (2FA) or Multi-Factor-Authentication (MFA). The Hardware-Token uses the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) and stores the private-key locally on the device. Before being able to log in, the user has to input the YubiKey into the USB-port and prove the possession of the private-key. However, attackers have found a way to extract this private-key with a Side-Channel-Attack and clone the YubiKey, enabling unauthorized authentication. The affected device is the YubiKey 5-Series with a firmware version before 5.7.
General
Passwords as a Foundation
Passwords have been fundamental for authentication for decades and are still the most used authentication method. However, they come with a few weaknesses, which make them vulnerable to data leaks, phishing and identity theft.
Modern Authentication Methods
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Courses
- A course where this documentation was used (2017, 2018)
- Another one (2018)