Mitre CVE database shutdown
The Impending Darkness: When Cybersecurity's Golden Record Faces Extinction
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April 16, 2025

The Heartbeat of Vulnerability Tracking: Understanding Mitre and CVE

Mitre Corporation stands as a beacon of technological innovation and national security research. Established in 1958, this not-for-profit organization has been instrumental in managing critical cybersecurity infrastructure, most notably the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) program. The CVE database serves as the global dictionary of known security vulnerabilities, providing a standardized identifier for every publicly disclosed cybersecurity weakness.

For decades, Mitre has meticulously cataloged and maintained this comprehensive repository, enabling security professionals worldwide to track, understand, and mitigate potential digital threats. Their systematic approach has been fundamental in creating a shared language for cybersecurity researchers, vendors, and organizations.

The Looming Crisis: Funding Withdrawal and Potential Collapse

Recent developments have sent shockwaves through the cybersecurity community. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has signaled the end of the contract that is funding the CVE program, potentially leaving a massive void in global vulnerability tracking. This unexpected move threatens to disrupt the intricate ecosystem of cybersecurity research and threat management.

The implications are profound. Without a centralized, trusted repository, organizations might struggle to quickly identify and respond to emerging security vulnerabilities. The potential shutdown could create significant information fragmentation and increase cybersecurity risks for governments, corporations, and individual users.

Global Alternatives: Preserving the CVE Legacy

European Intervention: A Continental Cybersecurity Response

In the rapidly evolving landscape of global cybersecurity, Europe stands at a critical juncture. The potential shutdown of the MITRE CVE program has sparked intense discussions about the future of vulnerability tracking and digital defense. European nations are uniquely positioned to step forward and assume a pivotal role in maintaining the global cybersecurity ecosystem. The question arises if the European decision-making process is fast enough to take advantage of this opportunity.

Academic Institutions: Guardians of Digital Knowledge

Prestigious research universities in democratic nations present another promising alternative. Institutions in Canada, Australia, and various European countries have demonstrated exceptional capabilities in cybersecurity research and management.

Universities like ETH Zurich, University of Toronto, and UNSW Sydney possess the technological expertise, research infrastructure, and international credibility required to potentially inherit and expand the CVE program's mission.

Potential Challenges in Transition

Transitioning the CVE program will not be without significant challenges. Maintaining the database's comprehensiveness, ensuring global participation, and preserving the established credibility will require substantial resources and international cooperation.

Technical complexities include maintaining consistent vulnerability identification standards, ensuring real-time updates, and creating a sustainable funding model. Moreover, geopolitical considerations could complicate the transfer of such a sensitive cybersecurity resource.

The Human Element: Community and Collaboration

Beyond institutional mechanisms, the cybersecurity community itself represents a powerful force for continuity. Open-source initiatives, collaborative research platforms, and international cybersecurity conferences could play crucial roles in maintaining vulnerability tracking momentum.

Professional networks and independent researchers might develop decentralized solutions, potentially creating a more robust, community-driven approach to vulnerability management. In each case, it has become clear that counting on a single solution payed by a single country is obsolete.

Hope on the Horizon: Adaptive Resilience

Despite the current uncertainty, the cybersecurity community has consistently demonstrated remarkable adaptability. Historical precedents show that critical infrastructure rarely disappears entirely but often transforms through innovative solutions.

Whether through governmental intervention, academic leadership, or community-driven initiatives, the fundamental need for comprehensive vulnerability tracking ensures that some form of the CVE program will likely emerge, potentially stronger and more dynamic than its predecessor. The actual problem is an opportunity for other organisations or countries to shine.

Webcam security
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Januari 16, 2025

This document, circulated for the MegaGiga Computerclub presentation, focuses on webcam security and delves into the fundamental mechanisms of webcams, outlining their role in capturing and transmitting video or images to local networks or over the internet.

The document sheds light on the hardware and software aspects of webcams, emphasizing the significance of understanding protocols such as RTSP, PSIA, and ONVIF commonly employed for audio and video streaming.

Furthermore, the document delves into the external and internal characteristics of webcams, highlighting the connection methods and protocols used for interaction with webcams.

It underscores the significance of recognizing these elements for a comprehensive understanding of webcam functionality. The discussion extends to ways of identifying webcams on the internet, including the use of Google dorking and platforms like Shodan.io for detailed searches of specific devices.

Malware analysis - talrezew
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October 29, 2024

The link http://frthi.trophytakers.comis/... transmitted to an unsuspecting victim via a mail.

When the victim clicks the link a seemingly legitimate webpage is shown, and the browser history is changed. If the user revisits the page, the browser is redirected to a 'You won a price' page.

But this is not the end of the story. From the mentioned page, the user is redirected to a website in the Netherlands (Amsterdam) that loads a malicious webpage.

This document makes an analysis of the malware and of the supporting server that should be sufficiently profound to know what the malware does, how to prevent the malware on your infrastructure.

Application security - A forgotten programming skill
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August 23, 2022

At the beginning of 2022, it was, and still is, common understanding that api security is a hot item. There is, however, an intersection between api security and other security domains that is often not taken into account. Where API security is often focused on knowledge of network protocols and fuzzing of interfaces, a deeper danger lurks below the surface. A danger that is almost as old as information technology itself, and still very much disregarded. Disregarded during education and disregarded in the field. The name of that danger is application security.

The goal of this article is not to cover the entire field of application security, but to give one of the most basic and yet most striking examples of an application security glitch that is used all over the place to teach the C programming language.

Malware analysis - TB7mT95P
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Juli 24, 2022

The link https://phot0.tr5se.com/TB7mT95P is transmitted to an unsuspecting victim by means of messenger, together with a little text in the sense of 'look what I found'.

When the victim clicks the link...

This document makes an analysis of the malware and of the supporting server that should be sufficiently profound to know what the malware does, how to prevent the malware on your infrastructure, and eventually even how to hack the supporting server to shut it down.

We do not recommend the latter for the reason that even hacking a hacker can be illegal in your country.

Microsoft can secretly update Raspberry OS
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Feb 6, 2021

To the surprise of a number of administrators of Raspberry OS (before called Raspbian), the latest update came with an extra software key that permits Microsoft to make changes to the Raspberry OS each time the user or administrator does an update

It goes without saying that this did not fall well with the Raspberry and Linux communities who have lost their trust in Raspberry and see this case as a confirmation that Microsoft has an uncontrollable urge to be present on each computer and gather user data, even if it has to be done secretly.

From my side, I rather think that it's not artificial intelligence but natural stupidity that will destroy the world. With other words: it's not even sure that Microsoft is aware of the fact that their software is added to Raspbian OS, nor that the Raspberry Pi Foundation was aware of the consequences of their decision to put VScode in Raspberry OS LITE.

WarDog, the new war driving in miniature
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Aug 1, 2019

The expression wardriving is a generally known concept. It means loading your car with the necessary equipment (such as there are one or more notebooks, a couple of antenna’s, a good GPS device, etc.), driving to a place that is (estimated to be) close enough to one or more wireless antenna’s, and starting to scan the wireless antenna’s and networks that belong to them.

This paper is written to show that it is not necessary to be an electronics genius to create a device that is so small that it can be hidden in plain sight, and that can get organizations in trouble.

Divided we stand, divided we fall - A security risk analysis for Belgium
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Jun 11, 2017

Starting from a geopolitical analysis of the part of the world that influences the Belgian security situation, this paper focuses deeper on one example of risk that can have major influences on the countries of the NATO and the European Union.

Using this risk analysis, we focus in on the Belgian situation. Especially elements that make Belgium vulnerable in the next decade are studied.

The author wishes to stress again that special care has been taken not to use any material that is classified within NATO, EU or BE context. All information that is used to make this analysis is freely available for anyone who wants to take the time to look for it, read it and assimilate it.

How to hack the identity of a Tor user
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Jan 17, 2016

Absolute anonymity is an illusion. This publication shows, on a high level, how even Tor users (or users of other anonymizing networks) can be identified by means of fingerprinting, the use of a honeypot, etc.

After a general introduction and a closer look at the Tor network, the steps to find the identity of a Tor user is explained.

Note that this publication does not give the details of the stated techniques in order not to pass the legal boundary.

Tiny Linux
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April 05, 2025

The Tiny Linux project is aimed at crafting an exceptionally small and efficient Linux distribution, primarily targeting users who need minimal resource consumption without sacrificing core functionalities. This project emphasizes compactness and speed, making it ideal for embedded systems or devices where conserving computational resources is crucial. Despite its reduced size, Tiny Linux strives to maintain a level of usability that supports essential networking and troubleshooting tasks, allowing it to serve effectively in roles such as microservers or educational tools for understanding Linux internals.

The project is accessible for anyone to use and modify, and encourages contributions through its GitHub repository. The open-source nature ensures that users can tailor the distribution to specific requirements, further enhancing its utility in specialized scenarios. The simplicity of the distribution aligns with the philosophy of empowering developers and enthusiasts to maximize performance while minimizing footprint, ensuring that it remains a versatile and valuable asset in diverse technological applications.

GNU-Linux
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April 05, 2025

The GNU-Linux project is focused on the creation of a minimal GNU/Linux disk image. This image is designed for use with QEMU to facilitate testing applications written for GNU/Linux environments. It stands out for its streamlined architecture, aiming to serve developers and hobbyists looking for a low-overhead platform to test their applications. However, it is essential to note that this image is not intended for production environments, as it lacks essential security features found in more robust distributions.

The project is accessible to anyone interested, and it provides a straightforward setup process. Users can get started by cloning the repository from GitHub and following the makefile instructions to build the image. While it does not support advanced features like code forks or security monitoring, its simplicity and ease of use make it a great tool for educational purposes and for developers focusing on application testing. Additionally, credits are given to Maple-Circuit for inspiring the project's procedure, further promoting collaboration and learning within the tech community.

Alternatives for the Linux kernel unexported kallsyms symbols
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July 14, 2020

On april 7th, 2020 Mr Deacon authored and Mr. Torvalds committed a pull request on the Linux kernel. More specific, from kernel 5.7.7 on, some kallsyms symbols/functions will no longer be exported by the kernel. This has as a consequence that a major number of third party modules will no longer install after an update to the latest kernel version.

This paper looks into the problem, proposes a number of alternatives, and show how these alternatives can be implemented without causing havoc in the source code of the mentioned modules (read: relatively easy to change once one knows how).

1442 punch card reader
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March 04, 2025

The rdr1442 project is designed to read punched card images from PDF files created by pun1442, offering a modern solution to interpreting retro-style data. Its primary functions is to extract the textual content represented by the punched holes on the cards. The project's GitHub repository provides detailed information on how to use rdr1442 effectively for data extraction and interpretation purposes.

The README.md file for rdr1442 outlines the project's functionality, instructions for setup, and examples of its usage. Users can follow the guide to install rdr1442 and leverage its capabilities for reading punched card images from PDF files. Users interested in exploring the world of retro computing and data interpretation can refer to the README file to get started with rdr1442 and unlock its potential for analyzing and working with punched card images in a contemporary context.

1442 punch card puncher
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March 02, 2025

The pun1442 project aims to simulate punching a text file into a PDF format with an IBM 1442 retro style look. This process generates punched cards in the resulting PDF file, which can be read back with the rdr1442 project. Examples of outputs from pun1442 can be viewed in the tests directory. Details on how these examples were created can be found in the runtests.sh file within the project repository. The project is still in progress, and feedback is welcome for further improvements.

For those interested in installing pun1442, the process is straightforward, especially on Linux. By cloning the project from the provided GitHub repository and installing the necessary requirements, users can access the tool easily. The instructions for installation using commands like git clone and pip install are readily available for Linux users. For Mac and Windows installations, collaboration or assistance can be arranged by contacting the project owner directly to tailor the setup accordingly.

The project acknowledges the use of the IBMPlexMono-Regular font and Control Data Corporation 5081 punched card collection. Licensing information ensures that pun1442 is free software distributed under the GNU General Public License.

1403 printer
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Februari 10, 2025

For all the mainframe enthousiast with 'retro sentiments' we have created a little Python project. The GitHub repository "prt1403" provides a program that allows users to print a text file to a PDF in a retro IBM 1403 printer style.

The tool can be installed on Linux, with instructions provided for setup via git and pip. It supports multiple font options, including two default fonts, FONTMONO and FONT1403, which resemble the original IBM 1403 character set.

Users can adjust the print style using command-line options for color, font, paper size, and more. The repository includes a detailed README.md file with installation steps, usage instructions, and configuration options for customization.

A hardware random number generator USB stick
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Feb 20, 2021

Since some time, the Direction ICT of the Belgian Ministry of Home Affairs is looking into crypto systems. Within that framework, a preliminary study^[1] has been made. With this study as a basis, priorities were decided upon, and a first project outline was made. The first priority was the development of a hardware random number generator. Since budgets and staff are limited, outsourcing nor insourcing this project were an option, so the authors decided to invest some time in this project.

The document is a work in progress and must be read as such, but we got a number of questions about the state of play of this project, so we already make available what we have.

[1] “Cryptosystems in an ever-changing world”, Freya Verbeke (under the guidance of Prof. Marnix Van Daele, UGent, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Applied mathematics, computer science and statistics), 8 august 2019

A hardware random number generator shield for the Visitekaarduino
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Sep 9, 2020

This project generates true random bit sequences. A quality test of the random bit strings is performed using different open source tests, and the developed hardware qualifies with ease.

The use of true random bit sequences in stead of pseudo random number bit strings is useful in the domains of data encryption, mathematics, physics, engineering sciences, etc.

Visitekaarduino, an Arduino on a business card
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Feb 7, 2020

This project elaborates on the design of a fully functional Arduino on a business card. All necessary information is given to make it possible to understand the assembling, the programming and the functioning of this Visitekaarduino. This includes the schematics, the PCB design, the bill of materials, some programming code, etc.

The major challenge was to create a price-competitive business card (for volumes from 250 and more) that gets more attention than a plain vanilla one. So, the overhead cost, like shipping cost, engineering cost, etc. can be a bit higher, as long as the price per board is low enough. The higher the volumes, the more beneficial this Visitekaarduino becomes.

S80 computer Ver. 2.0 - A retro Z80 with memory mapping
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Sep 21, 2019 - Update May 31st, 2020

This document is the sequel of the S80 computer Ver. 1.0/i> document. It continues where the previous document ended: the building of the second version of the S80 computer. The boards are smaller, the memory size extended to 2Mb by means of memory mapping.

This second version is hardware and software compatible with the first version of the S80.

The focus of this document is on the memory 2.0 board with memory mapping addressing logic. A first test board had flaws in the design (see previous document) and the design cycle of the second test board has been extended with VHDL software testing and breadboard testing. Updates of this document will also handle the creation of a wire-wrapping test board as a final test before ordering test PCB's. Further updates will handle all future steps up until the production version will be available.