I am having certain problems when using my current system.
I do not know whether they are hardware based on software based.
This is currently happening in qubes. While typing, my system will jump from one window to another. For example, I was using the terminal for sys-whonix and the system jumped to my Tor browser window and suddenly I was tying in that.
Also, while typing in this, my cursor (in this text field) jumps over to similar topics.
I am also having this problem while using my other operating system, which is a linux system on the same machine that uses gnome. It happens a lot, sometimes with random programs opening up that I have not even requested to open.
Please do not move this to the “help I think I’ve been hacked” section. This seems more likely electrical in nature, like damaged chips or something.
I have a possibly damaged touchscreen and may need to get that replaced. (There are some parts of the screen that look slightly damaged.) But even if the touchscreen had a problem, I wouldn’t expect programs to run on their own. I am also having unusual keyboard issues, like things turn into CAPITAL LETTERS suddenly.
I am wondering if I shorted something out when I cleaned a fan inside the machine. I tried to be careful, but this seems like an electrical issue.
At first, when this started happening, I did think i was being hacked.
The only huge risk in Qubes is that I use a github utility to control the WinMax2 fans, win-max-2-fan-control and I have that in dom0. (That’s probably a huge mistake, and I can use a VM PVH Qube with the fans attached and the utility.) But the code is public, I doubt that code is what is doing this. (Sorry Joanna! and everyone else at Qubes. They’d be so upset. It was lazy and stupid. But the code is available and doubt that this particular piece of software is what is causing all this.)
Also, strangely, these errors seems to happen a lot less when I turn the internet off. They were happening all the time while writing this, then I turned my Internet off, and suddenly the problems have stopped. I also did replace my router firmware, and it hasn’t stopped any of this.
It’s also possible that the machine I got had compromised firmware or was compromised by a USB driver. I am not running the latest bios firmware because of concerns that it’s not compatible with Qubes, but perhaps that’s the problem. I’ve heard of multiple people complain online that the bios upgrade bricked their winmax or made things less usable. I have a hard time believing this is a driver issue.
This is also happening so much, it’s hard to believe it’s just a regular hacker because I don’t think a regular hacker would have that much time to target me. I think this is much more likely to be hardware. Then again, I can’t rule out a skilled hacker is doing this. I have made enemies on occasion. I don’t think they are after me, however, and it would be hard for them to be after me by hacking qubes. Some of the people I’ve met in my life are very sophisticated with computers and would be able to attack a hardened system. I have also shared controversial views online of a political nature in a very outspoken way that could be upsetting to some. I don’t really do anything that important enough to be targeted by a nation-state, likely, although I sometimes wonder if this is something automatic happening and somehow some system keeps finding me. I have enough somewhat unique network characteristics that a sophisticated adversary with access to the network infrastructure could possibly guess that it’s me over and over, despite using certain techniques to try to protect myself.
I’m not sure what to think of all of this. I am considering moving to a RISC system with Debian so I am least am less concerned about chip-level exploits.
Am I over-reacting to this? The sys-whonix terminal was open and the Tor browser window was open when it kept switching from the sys-whionix terminal to the tor browser window and then it kept making it hard for me to type this until I disconnected the Internet, then none of the jumping mouse pointer and changes in windows kept happening. I am going to reconnect to post this.
I wish I knew what all of this was. I am not a wealthy person and buying another machine to try to figure this out may be a mistake if it’s a firmware issue. I also have another hardened device that may have had some similar issues.
This seemed to happen more sometime after I got the device and installed other upgraded components. This may not be a hack.
I also don’t know the smartest way to proceed. If I do nothing, I may be a deer waiting in the headlights, and this could be a real hack with the hacker waiting to do something harmful to me somehow, such as commit a financial crime against me. This could also be something where some country thinks statements I’ve said online are bad and I’m at risk in an even worse way, although so many people say controversial stuff online or political views, it seems like very improbable.
