I have two Buffalo TeraStation NAS devices in my home network. After recently wondering if I've gotten something on my PC I've also started to wonder about the security of these NAS boxes. If my PC was infected I would expect that to open my LAN up to being inspected and for these NAS boxes to potentially have been infected. They run some flavor of Linux and then a proprietary front end, and I think hacking into the Linux back end violates any warranty, so I'm not sure how I'd even tell. Anyone have any thoughts on this topic?
Solved Thoughts on NAS security?
- Thread starter Fla_Panther
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What a great question, as I understand from previous research it YES it is possible for nas data to be compromised, and not only for user shared files/folders. Obviously the only way to be sure is have the nas disconnected, just like you would a usb drive. Having been struck with data loss some time back and becoming paranoid about my admittedly now less important files have developed a workaround for those with similar paranoia. Have 2 Qnaps and 1 is on and connected 24/7 as it's used as a media server as well as an alternate backup repository. Also have a 2nd Qnap which is only ever switched on and connected to the lan to backup the 1st nas.
Might be overkill but it works without what sometimes can be fickle raid arrays. Seeing you have 2 nas boxes this may work for you and give you peace of mind.
Might be overkill but it works without what sometimes can be fickle raid arrays. Seeing you have 2 nas boxes this may work for you and give you peace of mind.
Well ... the reason I got my second NAS was simply because I'd messed up my first one. I'd tried enabling jumbo frames on it, that made the NAS run slower than molasses in January, and it continued to do so even after I reverted the config. I had to buy the second NAS to backup the first one before I could do a factory default on the first one. Now that I have I'm expanding a separate plan of mine.
A few years ago I decided I wanted to build a CentOS box to get more familiar with Linux. I built one using a 2U rackmountable chassis that someone gave me that accepts regular PC parts, and I did get some config done on it. Then I saw something that made me think my CentOS box and/or my LAN had been compromised so I took it offline and went to the old PCHF and requested help, that never came. Many months passed and when I tried to get back into working on the problem the motherboard in the server I built died.
I'd had problems with part compatibility so this time I said screw it and bought a used Dell server with room for 6 drives in it. I figured I'd rebuild it with CentOS on 1 drive (mirrored to another) and then with the other 4 drives I can set up a 2-drive volume and RAID 1 that over to the other 2 drives. Make that a shared drive and move my NAS stuff over to that. At that point I'll have what's essentially a NAS running on a box I have full OS control of.
Right now I've got a thread open to confirm my PC is clean, and I've reinstalled CentOS on the server and it's air gapped from the rest of my network. I'm going to research writing a script that I can set up with cron to check for logins every 60 seconds and email me if one occurs. No one but me should be having access to it so at least that will let me know whether or not it gets attacked when I bring it onto my network. At that point if it does get attacked it'll either have to be coming from the NAS boxes, something really deep on my PC, or a vulnerability in my cable modem.
A few years ago I decided I wanted to build a CentOS box to get more familiar with Linux. I built one using a 2U rackmountable chassis that someone gave me that accepts regular PC parts, and I did get some config done on it. Then I saw something that made me think my CentOS box and/or my LAN had been compromised so I took it offline and went to the old PCHF and requested help, that never came. Many months passed and when I tried to get back into working on the problem the motherboard in the server I built died.
I'd had problems with part compatibility so this time I said screw it and bought a used Dell server with room for 6 drives in it. I figured I'd rebuild it with CentOS on 1 drive (mirrored to another) and then with the other 4 drives I can set up a 2-drive volume and RAID 1 that over to the other 2 drives. Make that a shared drive and move my NAS stuff over to that. At that point I'll have what's essentially a NAS running on a box I have full OS control of.
Right now I've got a thread open to confirm my PC is clean, and I've reinstalled CentOS on the server and it's air gapped from the rest of my network. I'm going to research writing a script that I can set up with cron to check for logins every 60 seconds and email me if one occurs. No one but me should be having access to it so at least that will let me know whether or not it gets attacked when I bring it onto my network. At that point if it does get attacked it'll either have to be coming from the NAS boxes, something really deep on my PC, or a vulnerability in my cable modem.
No. I'm not sure how we'd go about it, barring setting up Wireshark and watching what traffic it sends out. Even then that's not 100& if it's part of a botnet that only generates traffic when instructed to. At this point my thought is to build a server running RAID and migrate my files to it, then get rid of the Buffalo. I'm not that good with Linux but if it's my own server I have full access to check whatever I want on there. Unless you have some other thoughts on the matter?
I've configured a CentOS box and am in the process of locking it down before moving my files over to it. Been busy.
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