Practical AVC-Edge CompactFlash Modifications

can Amuse Nerds

J. Alex HaldermanUniversity of Michigan

Ariel J. FeldmanPrinceton University

Nerds!

“Security Analysis of the Diebold AccuVote-TS Voting Machine“A. Feldman, J. A. Halderman, and E. Felten EVT 2007

Diebold AccuVote-TS

Sequoia AVC Advantage

“Can DREs Provide Long-Lasting Security? ....”Checkoway, Feldman, Kantor, Halderman, Felten, and Shacham EVT 2009 Steve

Checkoway

HovavShacham

‘’The NJ Voting-machine Lawsuit and the AVC Advantage ...’’ Appel, Ginsburg, Hursti, Kernighan, Richards, Tan, and Venetis EVT 2009

Sequoia AVC Advantage

Andre

wAp

pel

Nedap ES3B

Rop

Gonggrijp

“Studying the Nedap/Groenendaal ES3B Voting Computer: A Computer Security Perspective.” Gonggrijp and Hengeveld. EVT 2007

“Security Analysis of India’s Electronic Voting Machines”Wolchok, Wustrow, Halderman, Prasad, K., S., Y., and Gonggrijp CCS 2010

Indian EVM Hari

Prasad

JoeHall

JeremyEpstein

The Sequoia AVC-Edge

2008: Used in 161 jurisdiction with 8.9 million registered voters

TTBR 2007

“The testers were able to gain access to the internals of the system, by, for example, unscrewing screws to bypass locks. The screws were not protected by seals.”

— TTBR red team report on the AVC Edge

Let’s reprogram it!

Let’s put Linux on it!

Booting “Damn Small Linux”

Booting “Damn Small Linux”

Problem:Watchdog timer

OK. What else can it do?

“Studying the Nedap/Groenendaal ES3B Voting Computer: A Computer Security Perspective.” Gonggrijp and Hengeveld. EVT 2007

Based on these initial experiments, we now present

the future of DREs…

FeaturesPortable

Battery powered1 or 2 players

Unlimited quarters

FreeDOS + MAME

Original 1980 Pac-Man(Celebrate the 30th anniversary)

ChallengesNo math coprocessor, no logical block addressing.

Writing a config.sys file(remember himem.sys?)

Security RisksSomeone could hack in

and reprogram it to count votes fairly

ConclusionDRE voting machines will

soon be widely decommissioned.

Their future lies in emulating classic games

to amuse nerds.

Practical AVC-Edge CompactFlash Modifications

can Amuse Nerds

J. Alex HaldermanUniversity of Michigan

Ariel J. FeldmanPrinceton University