An insecurity analyst has worked out how to break the security of a processor used to protect computers, smartcards and even Microsoft's Xbox 360 gaming system. Christopher Tarnovsky, who works for Flylogic Engineering, said he has hacked an Infineon SLE 66 CL PC processor that is also used with Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chips.

TPM is an industry specification for hardware-based computer security has been implemented in hardware by Infineon and other manufacturers. Tarnovsky said his hack proves the standard is not as secure as presumed. TPM is currently used for storage of encryption keys. It is a key component in Microsoft's BitLocker encryption technology. He said he could recover all the secrets inside this chip. Your keys to the Xbox 360, the licensing chip, the RSA cryptoengine, and there is nothing in this device I can't see.

What he has to do is jump the wire into the internal circuitry of the Infineon chips to create a bypass into the core. It is not for the faint hearte, it took Tarnovsky six months to figure out how to effectively penetrate it. Once he is physically through the device, he has to eavesdrop on the databus. It now takes about six hours to break the licensing keys to the XBox 360.

Tarnovsky shared his findings with Infineon. But he said that over the past month the company appeared to have dropped contact with him. He said his hardware-hacking methods are probably not easy to duplicate and he doesn't plan to share them widely.