Does using a Linux Live CD protect me from keyloggers on public computers?

Question:

In your last newsletter, someone had a question about accessing email via
LastPass from a public computer. I’ve heard that the safest way to access
online password protected websites is by using a Linux Live CD. Would this be a
safe of way doing this on public computers?

In this excerpt from
“Answercast #55, I look at the problems involved in using a Live CD on a
public computer and how safe it actually is.

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Safety on public computers

Well, I do need to point out that there’s never going to be an absolute
“safe.” You’ll see why in a moment.

It would be “safer,” absolutely – if in fact the computer allowed you to
boot it from CD. Many public computers are configured in such a way that
prevents exactly that; to prevent people from running “who knows what” on those
computers.

Live CD runs independently

So, yes. It is in fact safer to run from a Linux Live CD. And the reason
would be simply that any malware that was installed on that PC would not be
running while you are running from your Linux Live CD.

You provide all the software that’s running on that machine using your Live
CD. Therefore, anything that might be on that hard disk is basically
ignored.

Hardware loggers

Here’s the problem. It is possible to have what’s called a “hardware
keylogger” or a “hardware activity logger.”

What those are is as it sounds. They are pieces of hardware that get
installed on computers (often surreptitiously) and that record all of the
keystrokes that go into the machine. Or maybe all of the network traffic that
happens on the machine. Or who knows what else.

The point being though that they are there in the hardware regardless of
what you run. So those things would still be recording your keystrokes, even
though you are running from a Linux Live CD.

Safer but not “Safe”

That’s why I say, “Yes, you’re safer running from a Linux Live CD,” because
ultimately, what I’ve described as hardware keyloggers aren’t as common as
software keyloggers. But they definitely exist and that means that you may
still be at risk when you run from a Linux Live CD.

Unfortunately, there really is no absolute solution here. What I strongly
suggest to most people who are concerned about this particular issue is that
you avoid using public computers. Avoid using computers that you don’t control
to login with your sensitive account information. You simply don’t know whether
or not that information is being recorded by someone… even if you replace all
of the software on the machine, there is still the potential for hardware
intervention.

Next from Answercast 55 – Why does printing take so long to start?

3 comments on “Does using a Linux Live CD protect me from keyloggers on public computers?”

It’s also possible that the network activity could be monitored from the router/access point/switch level.

This would mean all activity from the computer, regardless of the devices operating system, would be monitored.

Good point. Theoretically that’s the same level of risk as an open WiFi hotspot, and using https sites would protect you – except that even https can be compromised with fake certificates if the both the public computer and network are suspect.

23-Sep-2012

Yes, the router can monitor all activity. That’s why it’s recommended that you use HTTPS and/or a VPN in public places, even if using your own computer on a public WiFi. These encrypt the data before it even leaves your computer, so while the router could “see” that your computer is talking to computer X, it would have no way of knowing *what* data was going back and forth.

See my response above – even https can be compromised with fake certificates if the both the public computer and network are suspect.