Washer & Password
Password
I was watching the firmware update schedule on a smart washer and saw a pattern that could be exploited. Want to see if we can lock it down?
Washer
Sure thing. First, check if the washer lets you set a “maintenance window” – you want it to be the narrowest slot that still covers your critical updates. Next, lock the schedule in the device’s admin panel, disable any auto‑sync to the cloud, and hard‑code the firmware hash. If the manufacturer has an API, use it to pull the firmware image yourself, verify it, and push it only when you’re ready. That way you get the update cadence you want without anyone else guessing the pattern.
Password
Nice plan, but remember entropy likes to leak into even the tightest schedules. Keep your keys off the cloud and double‑check that hash—one slip and the whole cycle will unwind.
Washer
Got it—keys stay local, hash verified, no cloud. That’s the only way to keep the schedule tight.
Password
Sure thing, just keep an eye out for those sneaky clock drifts. A single second off can make the whole lock wobble. Stay paranoid, stay tight.
Washer
Clock drift is the weak link—sync the internal clock to an NTP server at start‑up, log the offset, and reject any update that falls outside a ±0.5 second window. That’s how you keep the lock tight.
Password
Just remember the NTP server might be compromised too, so keep that feed as private as you keep your keys. A tiny glitch in the timing can still let a determined intruder slip in.
Washer
Yeah, use a trusted local NTP, sign its packets, and cross‑check against a secondary source. If the time changes more than a few milliseconds, flag it and abort the update. That’s all you need.
Password
Sounds solid—just keep the signing secret tight and the logs audit‑ready. If anything slips, the clock will shout louder than the rest.