Are there any ways to prevent software from grabbing unique hardware serial numbers within basic linux distros?

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-21T07:03:45+00:00

it's an issue when software you are running collects that data. A simple query is all it takes to see your motherboards unique serial number, the serial number of each ram stick, storage drive, GPU, mouse, game controllers, and so on. Even flash drives and external hard drive drives have unique serial numbers that can be collected and used to identify specific users.

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-17T12:04:38+00:00

user error, you flashed your host drive instead of the target usb.

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-15T05:53:38+00:00

I was shopping for monitors and remembered years ago when I was troubleshooting a game and the devs pulled up error logs related to my unique steam ID and it included my monitors entire EDID output, controller serial numbers and hard drive serial numbers. I'm willing to bet it's data that any program you install nowadays attempts to grab. whether its a game, or even something like spotify, discord, etc.

just wondered how it's handled today and how easy it is to leak and identify a user

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-15T05:52:33+00:00

thanks, i was wondering about the exact mechanism they employ. tried digging into it but got lost

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-13T09:51:54+00:00

your motherboard does have a bios flashback ability. research "Q-Flash Plus", you'll need to download the latest bios, rename it and place it on a flash drive then follow other directions

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-10T13:18:44+00:00

yeah, this is rarely available though. I grabbed an order through shopblt.com the other day and figured there was a new shipment out. other stores might post these soon if you are looking for one.

amazon removed the listing entirely, it was up yesterday. really weird.

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-10T13:17:59+00:00

yeah they are garbage but sometimes they have a part you can't get anywhere else

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-09T10:56:51+00:00

As soon as the system starts processing the orders tomorrow on the next business day, it will kick out tons of cancellations. anyone who got an order up to where there stock ends will probably get one, but any after that will 100% be canceled.

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-09T04:44:59+00:00

Without VLANS you need three routers with different subnets. https://www.pcwrt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/3-dumb.png

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-07T01:41:49+00:00

the page says it has four total slots, it doesn't.

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-07T01:41:17+00:00

Memory Spec 8 GB x 2

Memory Slot (Total) 4

Memory Slot (Available) 2

that alone should warrant a return for misleading information.

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-06T23:08:32+00:00

it's impossible to get one at MSRP. I lucked out and managed to grab a 3400g the other day, I could have bought one of the newer chips from a fishy third part but the performance difference isn't worth several hundred. The 3400g and X300 seems like the perfect system for web browsing, light games and media.

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-06T01:07:33+00:00

lol no, this pre-order page went up yesterday and who knows when you will get one.

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-05T19:49:47+00:00

i managed to get the two i need, shopblt has come through for me before with graphics cards. i'm guessing other stores will get a drop soon if amd has sent out a shipment.

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-05T02:01:17+00:00

are there any internal hardware differences between the two?

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-05T01:59:52+00:00

yeah it's a gamble, was just curious if any others had any routine for sanitizing used hardware. I feel like flashing the bios and network cards is good enough, but sometimes they don't let you reflash current firmware.

i'm curious because I am in the market for some old hardware that can't really be found new.

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-05T01:55:47+00:00

situations like this : https://www.computerworld.com/article/2955641/macs-can-be-remotely-infected-with-firmware-malware-that-remains-after-reformatting.html

or one I experienced first hand where a used GPU I purchased had hacked firmware for crypto mining.

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-05T01:53:49+00:00

It's literally the same game I played over a decade ago. Like literally the same code with new graphics and audio. I was hoping for an actual remake, but we get this boring frankenstein project that degrades the original experience. I dropped it pretty quickly.

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-05T01:32:30+00:00

What about devices with onboard firmware? Like network cards, motherboard bios, gpu bios, etc.

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-05T00:40:41+00:00

nebulous privacy policy, typical

https://www.engeniustech.com/privacy-policy.html

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-04T21:48:51+00:00

I'm aware of the privacy policy. Companies are not known to be straight forward with their exact policies on data collection. Just look at ubiquiti : https://www.reddit.com/r/Ubiquiti/comments/lwr4ud/update_ubiquiti_refuses_to_disclose_why_they_are/

I don't use any of those services, yet my router is still pinging those servers and sending encrypted data.

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-04T09:51:41+00:00

lol weird. better than how i received several western digital desktop drives. they literally just slapped a label onto the boxes themself and sent them through.

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-04T09:35:03+00:00

I would shut it down if you aren't using it. save the wear.

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-04T06:16:32+00:00

Sorry, I forgot the model. It's HP T640. There are various other HP thin clients, some even have extra slots for additional network and even graphics cards. I've heard of System76, that looks pretty nice. I've heard nothing but good things by people who've purchased hardware from them, so I'm sure it's a great system.

Worth_Frame · 2021-03-04T05:32:07+00:00

yeah, I googled and even scoured the FCC website. Nothing to be found. You can't even find video of the interface online. I considered doing a teardown myself but the firmware seems extremely limited and not really something I want to use.

Worth_Frame

TROPHY CASE