[tor-talk] Practical deanonymization using CPU load covert channels

[bancfc at openmailbox.org]

Hi. Whonix collaborator here. We've given a lot of thought to many types 
of clock based attacks including the one you are researching so we are 
interested to know more about how  this applies to our platform.

To run Whonix in KVM please see the relevant steps here [0]. Let me know 
if you have any further questions on setting it up.


Re-adjusting some of the terms you use to apply to VMs:

* Limiting CPU resources for Tor as opposed to the browser component is 
what counts? (both are separate in the Whonix model)

* The cgroup equivalent for a hypervisor is to limit the number of CPUs 
the Tor VM  has access to? (currently one core - on a quad-core system 
that's the 25% limit you recommend)

* Setting the Tor process to use nice 19 should take care of the ping 
timings you mention?

* Taking into account that some users connect to the clearnet using 
system running Whonix, do these mitigations still hold up?


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[0] https://www.whonix.org/wiki/KVM#First_time_user.3F