TGXf Project Warns of File Transfer through Screen Pixels
Weird data transfer technique avoids all standard security measures.
Ian Latter, of the Through Glass Transfer project (TGXf), presented a paper at the Kiwicon conference describing a technique for clientless data transfer through pixels on a standard display monitor.
The TGXf project provides a suite of tools intended to debunk the myth that data transfer requires some form of network communication that is detectable by monitoring network traffic. Some security standards, such as the US HIPAA medical records standard, make a distinction between records that can be transmitted over the network and records that should only be used on an isolated system. The TGXf project considers this distinction irrelevant, and they have developed tools to prove it.
The TGXf protocol transfers data by outputting QR codes to the screen. A simple HDMI recorder, or even a smartphone, can capture the screen out put and analyze it later to recover the file. Of course, the system must be compromised to produce the QR-coded screen output, but the important thing is, no trace of the data transfer is left behind, and no server/client communication reveals that the data transfer is taking place.
The TGXf project offers other alternatives for this client-less data transfer, including ThruKeyboardXfer (TKXf), which captures keyboard output through an Arduino board attached to a USB port.
The TGXf techniques do require physical access to the system, but they circumvent all common security measures. According to the TGXf website, the problems revealed through the TGXf project do not even have a Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures ID, because they aren't actually a vulnerabilities but represent, instead, "a flaw in the end-to-end architecture."
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Canonical Bumps LTS Support to 12 years
If you're worried that your Ubuntu LTS release won't be supported long enough to last, Canonical has a surprise for you in the form of 12 years of security coverage.
-
Fedora 40 Beta Released Soon
With the official release of Fedora 40 coming in April, it's almost time to download the beta and see what's new.
-
New Pentesting Distribution to Compete with Kali Linux
SnoopGod is now available for your testing needs
-
Juno Computers Launches Another Linux Laptop
If you're looking for a powerhouse laptop that runs Ubuntu, the Juno Computers Neptune 17 v6 should be on your radar.
-
ZorinOS 17.1 Released, Includes Improved Windows App Support
If you need or desire to run Windows applications on Linux, there's one distribution intent on making that easier for you and its new release further improves that feature.
-
Linux Market Share Surpasses 4% for the First Time
Look out Windows and macOS, Linux is on the rise and has even topped ChromeOS to become the fourth most widely used OS around the globe.
-
KDE’s Plasma 6 Officially Available
KDE’s Plasma 6.0 "Megarelease" has happened, and it's brimming with new features, polish, and performance.
-
Latest Version of Tails Unleashed
Tails 6.0 is based on Debian 12 and includes GNOME 43.
-
KDE Announces New Slimbook V with Plenty of Power and KDE’s Plasma 6
If you're a fan of KDE Plasma, you'll be thrilled to hear they've announced a new Slimbook with an AMD CPU and the latest version of KDE Plasma desktop.
-
Monthly Sponsorship Includes Early Access to elementary OS 8
If you want to get a glimpse of what's in the pipeline for elementary OS 8, just set up a monthly sponsorship to help fund its continued existence.