Hacking the Rigol MSO5000 series oscilloscopes

[pascal_sweden]

Lots of people genuinely don't need it.

Most people actually do not need new scope at all, but then suddenly something black with pink ring around female connector surfaces... Pretty dirty move!

Channel 3 = Input channel or Pay-TV channel?

[jnz]

If they patch the bugs, and don't fully close the hacking options, I'll replace both my older Teks with them without blinking.

[Bud]

Channel 3 = Input channel or Pay-TV channel?

Pay-per-Use

[maginnovision]

If they patch the bugs, and don't fully close the hacking options, I'll replace both my older Teks with them without blinking.

I sort of go the same way. IF they fix the bugs, I'll buy one for my garage replacing a fluke scopemeter.

[Fungus]

Any news on whether the hack upgrades the bandwidth?

[maginnovision]

Any news on whether the hack upgrades the bandwidth?

Above someone showed the amplitude increased on a 160MHz sine after applying option so it seems like it.

[mrpackethead]

Do you mean if it upgrades it past 350Mhz.

[bson]

Nope, there's only root under /etc/passwd and the sshd_config is all commented out except UsePrivilegeSeparation no directive. Shadow is empty.

They don't seem to have disabled key based authentication, so it might be possible to drop a public key into ~root/.ssh/authorized_keys and used that to circumvent the password check for ssh.  Assuming you can write to ~root/.ssh.

Edit: oh, nvm I see now the secret password was much of a secret.   But this might be useful to keep in mind when dealing with other systems where you can write to ~root/.ssh but don't have the password to login.

[mrpackethead]

-“It appears Rigol’s engineers are designing their products to capitalize on the hacker’s proclivity to buy their tools to get the ‘free’ upgrade. This, of course, sounds just slightly insane, but no one seems to mind.”

It’s just an old marketing trick.

Suppose you want people to buy your products over a competitor’s. You add some bells and whistles to your product to offer more value and differentiate yourself on the market, but that also increases the price slightly and people don’t really need the extra features, so they won’t choose your product over simpler and cheaper competing products.

What then? Well, you pretend that the extra features are really really expensive high tech by locking them out and selling a “professional” version at many times the price. Then you let it slip that the features can be hacked into use on the “cheaper” models.     I am quite confident that the first 'claim' of the hack ( though unverified ) was exactly this. 

[tv84]

It’s just an old marketing trick.

Siglent has been using PRO_MODE all these years... Which is precisely the same thing.

I am quite confident that the first 'claim' of the hack ( though unverified ) was exactly this.

Don't agree. I believe it was a true "hack" and it came up, when it did, only because its authors had ruined the FRAM mem and were looking for someone who could provide a copy in exchange. If it were not for that detail, we would know about it only in a few months' time.

And, in no place I saw evidence that they were aware of the built-in feature.

Of course, having a equipment with a special S/N didn't help the cause...

[BravoV]

Wish Dave will do a video on hacking this new Rigol, and do the verification on the hack, like he did while ago on DS1052E. 

https://youtu.be/LnhXfVYWYXE

[tv84]

verification on the hack

It's a built-in feature. Not an hack!

[BravoV]

verification on the hack

It's a built-in feature. Not an hack!

Oh, ok, I stand corrected, actually this is even better, just apply the "fix" then verify if enabled features  are working, especially the bandwidth increase. 

[Bud]

-“It appears Rigol’s engineers are designing their products to capitalize on the hacker’s proclivity to buy their tools to get the ‘free’ upgrade. This, of course, sounds just slightly insane, but no one seems to mind.”

Write my words on the wall: no conspiracy marketing tricks here, all of this is just because the Chinese do mot know any better than copy each other whitout understanding how the code they copy works. I predict we will contunue see stupid things lke this one for the years ahead.

[mrpackethead]

Broad brush generalisations about one races abillitys are just that. Generalisations.

[asmi]

Write my words on the wall: no conspiracy marketing tricks here, all of this is just because the Chinese do mot know any better than copy each other whitout understanding how the code they copy works. I predict we will contunue see stupid things lke this one for the years ahead.

I sense too much xenophobia in this post...

[maginnovision]

Write my words on the wall: no conspiracy marketing tricks here, all of this is just because the Chinese do mot know any better than copy each other whitout understanding how the code they copy works. I predict we will contunue see stupid things lke this one for the years ahead.

I sense too much xenophobia in this post...

I don't think he's afraid of the chinese, that's ridiculous. That's a horribly stupid word people started over using. He's just racist against the chinese.

[asmi]

I don't think he's afraid of the chinese, that's ridiculous. That's a horribly stupid word people started over using. He's just racist against the chinese.

No it is absolutely not ridiculous. But this is OT in this thread (and perhaps even on this forum altogether).

[nctnico]

Broad brush generalisations about one races abillitys are just that. Generalisations.

It is not about race but about how a country is being run. The Chinese educational system for example supresses critical and out-of-the-box thinking. Basically killing any creativity needed to come up with a novel product.

[Fungus]

The Chinese educational system for example supresses critical and out-of-the-box thinking.

With 100% success rate, right?

(and I'm not sure the educational system in many other countries actively promotes critical thinking - look at the percentage of people in 'developed' countries who believe homeopathy works or that gods are real things).
 

[mrpackethead]

The Chinese educational system for example supresses critical and out-of-the-box thinking. Basically killing any creativity needed to come up with a novel product.

Most educational systems in fact do this, its not just a chinese thing.   Fortunately out of the population there are always a few free minded individuals who say "MEH to that" and go and be creative anyway.   An above average number seem to lurk around here though. 

Some  interesting inventions that the chinese were responsible for included;

Paper, Movable type printing, GunPowder, The compass, Alcohol, Clocks, Tea Production, Silk, Umbrellas, Iron Smelthing, Bronze, Kites, Growing food in rows, Toothbrushes, and paper money.   

[The Doktor]

Some  interesting inventions that the chinese were responsible for included;

Paper, Movable type printing, GunPowder, The compass, Alcohol, Clocks, Tea Production, Silk, Umbrellas, Iron Smelthing, Bronze, Kites, Growing food in rows, Toothbrushes, and paper money.   

So nothing of any real value? 

[TopLoser]

Certainly not in this thread. Take it elsewhere please?

[mrpackethead]

I think its helpful in the background information for working out why Rigol have released a product in the way they have. Understanding the motivation often will provide clues about implementation of a solution. 

[nctnico]

Paper, Movable type printing, GunPowder, The compass, Alcohol, Clocks, Tea Production, Silk, Umbrellas, Iron Smelthing, Bronze, Kites, Growing food in rows, Toothbrushes, and paper money.   

The Egyptians build pyramids long before that. Look at them today. Roman empire: same story. You have to look at the more recent history to see why the Chinese need to catch up so much when it comes to engineering and producing a good product.