Someone is accesing my pc

[QIII]

Then let's keep our discussion limited to computers, please.

[Vladlenin5000]

Then let's keep our discussion limited to computers, please.

Sure... But if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck and now has feathers, beak and feet too like a duck?... In most situations furthering the discussion about the wildest hypotheses validates and consequently worsens the... Duckness.

Before further elaboration, @cachuatey, avoid voicing your opinion about this subject to family members, friends, neighbors or other acquaintances. Avoid above all accusing potentially - and most likely - innocent people. You WILL regret it later!
This situations should be dealt with the utmost caution even with proof and so far you have nothing.


At first, we were presented with a "neighbors vs Ubuntu" scenario that now escalated to a "neighbors+sister vs Ubuntu and Windows". The focus also shifted from "reading/knowing what I write" - (in my own Ubuntu computer), implicitly - to freezing - (while away at work) with the computer running Ubuntu -or- Windows 7.
This brings a plethora of new questions.
1. Above all is the physical access to your computer. While it's far fetched your neighbors breaking into your house without your consent (and leaving no trace apparently), your sister who lives with you certainly has physical access to your computer. It doesn't take a leap of imagination to suggest a simple prank of shutting down your PC while you're away and simply unplugging it from the mains will do it... Or simply shutting it down from the menu as even if it is in the look screen you don't need a password to reboot or shutdown; your password is needed to open the current session only.
2. Now we have also a Windows 7 in the equation, something you "forgot" to mention in the first interaction. Everybody else posting in your thread, including me, were focused on evaluating the plausibility of such attack in a networked Linux system, nothing else. Simply put, it isn't plausible. Knowing it's a dual-boot with Windows then there are some things you should be aware of like
3. Windows 7 by default allows login without password and, unlike what is any Linux default, allows any change to be made without asking for the (admin) user's password. That includes, of course, disabling the firewall and accessing all the user's and system's files unless the files themselves have some password protection, whether they are in the Windows main partition or in a typical 'shared' secondary NTFS partition.
4. Freezes particularly have quite materialistic and mundane explanations, hardware and/or software.



There are lots of other possibilities open in the second iteration scenario and ALL of them should be ruled out before escalating to a 'conspiracy-theorist' mode. And most likely it's just a duck.

[cacahuatey]

Sorry for opening another thread and thanks for merging them.

1. Above all is the physical access to your computer. While it's far fetched your neighbors breaking into your house without your consent (and leaving no trace apparently), your sister who lives with you certainly has physical access to your computer. It doesn't take a leap of imagination to suggest a simple prank of shutting down your PC while you're away and simply unplugging it from the mains will do it... Or simply shutting it down from the menu as even if it is in the look screen you don't need a password to reboot or shutdown; your password is needed to open the current session only.

It is not while i am away, i work at home, with my computer, and when i'm really focused on something, the shut it off and i have to restart it.
When i am using it, and i have to restart it. I didn't understoon much the duck methaphore, but they allways laugh when this happen, and they even said they read all what i write, that is why i was asking about keyloggers. I'm gonna check that later, im mind burnt right know

2. Now we have also a Windows 7 in the equation, something you "forgot" to mention in the first interaction. Everybody else posting in your thread, including me, were focused on evaluating the plausibility of such attack in a networked Linux system, nothing else. Simply put, it isn't plausible. Knowing it's a dual-boot with Windows then there are some things you should be aware of like

I think i mentioned that i have windows, but not on the first post, i'm sorry, i didn't thought the possiblility of being managed via windows while using ubuntu.

4. Freezes particularly have quite materialistic and mundane explanations, hardware and/or software.
There are lots of other possibilities open in the second iteration scenario and ALL of them should be ruled out before escalating to a 'conspiracy-theorist' mode. And most likely it's just a duck.

I know, but this allways happens when they are around, only at that moments, and they allways make a comment about it. I know how "Ducky" this sounds, but it is the sad truth.

I have to add that my wifi is protected by pasword, but my sister can give it to them for sure.
I don't know what else can i add to let you see the whole thing. But i am 100% sure they are making my computer crash, with the only intention of bother me. That's what they do the whole day.

[Mark Phelps]

I'm retired from the InfoSec field now, but when I was working, one of our favourite sayings was "Once they have physical access to your PC, all bets are off!" -- meaning, if someone can get physical access to your PC, presuming they know how (or can figure out how), they can do pretty much whatever they want to compromise it, including installing spyware and keyloggers.

If you can't physically secure your PC from unwanted access while you are at work, all discussions here are basically a waste of time.

This is what we used to call a "Social Engineering" problem, meaning, it's NOT a PC hardware or software problem, and something only YOU can fix.

If you drive to work, then lock the PC in the trunk of your car. IF you walk or otherwise get to work in a manner that does not allow you to remove the PC from home, then basically, you're at the mercy of anyone at home that gets access to the PC -- and there's nothing here we can do to guarantee that they can not continue to get access.

[cacahuatey]

I'm retired from the InfoSec field now, but when I was working, one of our favourite sayings was "Once they have physical access to your PC, all bets are off!" -- meaning, if someone can get physical access to your PC, presuming they know how (or can figure out how), they can do pretty much whatever they want to compromise it, including installing spyware and keyloggers.

If you can't physically secure your PC from unwanted access while you are at work, all discussions here are basically a waste of time.

This is what we used to call a "Social Engineering" problem, meaning, it's NOT a PC hardware or software problem, and something only YOU can fix.

If you drive to work, then lock the PC in the trunk of your car. IF you walk or otherwise get to work in a manner that does not allow you to remove the PC from home, then basically, you're at the mercy of anyone at home that gets access to the PC -- and there's nothing here we can do to guarantee that they can not continue to get access.

That is so sad, but i guess the truth...

[pfeiffep]

I'm retired from the InfoSec field now, but when I was working, one of our favourite sayings was "Once they have physical access to your PC, all bets are off!" -- meaning, if someone can get physical access to your PC, presuming they know how (or can figure out how), they can do pretty much whatever they want to compromise it, including installing spyware and keyloggers.

If you can't physically secure your PC from unwanted access while you are at work, all discussions here are basically a waste of time.

This is what we used to call a "Social Engineering" problem, meaning, it's NOT a PC hardware or software problem, and something only YOU can fix.

If you drive to work, then lock the PC in the trunk of your car. IF you walk or otherwise get to work in a manner that does not allow you to remove the PC from home, then basically, you're at the mercy of anyone at home that gets access to the PC -- and there's nothing here we can do to guarantee that they can not continue to get access.

Possibly putting a bios level password would help! While that can be overcome by resetting the bios usually by a jumper on the mother board it will slow down and frustrate folks who are pranking you.

@cacahuatey You mentioned family and neighbors and wifi ... perhaps I missed the answer, but is this wifi connection secured by a password? Is it public?

[ofnuts]

if someone can get physical access to your PC, presuming they know how (or can figure out how), they can do pretty much whatever they want to compromise it, including installing spyware and keyloggers.

Isn't this what complete disk encryption (such as LUKS) is supposed to make very difficult? (*)


(*) Yes they can play with the boot partition, but it is also possible to boot first from a USB key to check that the boot partition hasn't been tampered with.

[bashiergui]

Are they messing with ypur computer while you're working on it? Or do they mess with it when you are away from it?

If it's the latter, then as someone else mentioned, full disk encryption + lock the computer inside of a cabinet or something when you leave.

[whitesmith]

I am sure that someone is having access to my personal computer, i changed my password and blocked the acces in the firewall, but this is still happening. I can't explain how i know, but i am sure that it is going on, and i know who it is...

Since you are unwilling to provide what may well be critical information, how do you expect us to help solve your problem?

[bashiergui]

I'm retired from the InfoSec field now, but when I was working, one of our favourite sayings was "Once they have physical access to your PC, all bets are off!" -- meaning, if someone can get physical access to your PC, presuming they know how (or can figure out how), they can do pretty much whatever they want to compromise it, including installing spyware and keyloggers.

If you can't physically secure your PC from unwanted access while you are at work, all discussions here are basically a waste of time.

This is what we used to call a "Social Engineering" problem, meaning, it's NOT a PC hardware or software problem, and something only YOU can fix.

If you drive to work, then lock the PC in the trunk of your car. IF you walk or otherwise get to work in a manner that does not allow you to remove the PC from home, then basically, you're at the mercy of anyone at home that gets access to the PC -- and there's nothing here we can do to guarantee that they can not continue to get access.

+1