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0 pointsfoxfluff4y ago0 comments

True, but it's harder to compromise a fully programmable device. In essence, you'd have to somehow prevent certain kinds of programming while still permitting all the rest. How is the device to know that flipping pin 121 and 122 in a specific pattern is actually clocking bits from a storage device?

I think the web is broken (user-hostile) for the same reason. It's been made to support arbitrary programming, and now you have to play this weird cat and mouse game of trying to prevent a particular kind of programming -- that can be used against you -- without breaking all the rest of the web. Google can block your browser because they can run code in your browser. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30051512

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matheusmoreira4y ago

You're right. I understand now that it could be a huge step forward. Not perfect but great.

voldacar4y ago

Furthermore I would add that the silicon die of an FPGA has a particular look which is very homogeneous compared to the die of a CPU or microcontroller, so if the vendor is including a small malicious CPU as a physical part of the FPGA, you should be able to detect that just by carefully scrutinizing the die with a microscope.

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matheusmoreira4y ago

You're right. I understand now that it could be a huge step forward. Not perfect but great.

voldacar4y ago

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse