37c3 – Finally again analogy in the digital jungle! The largest hacker congress in Europe invites you.

After a four-year break, the Chaos Computer Club invites you to 37 under the motto "Unlocked". The biggest hacker meeting in Europe, the "Chaos Communication Congress" (37c3). Over 17,000 visitors took part in the Hamburg Congress this year, and of course the team of actidoo did not let it take part in this event during the day and at night. In this post we would like to share our impressions and recommend three captivating lectures.

Congress was far more than just a collection of lectures. The variety of captivating content spanned various areas and provided an all-enriching experience.

The "Art & Beauty" exhibition, which created a fascinating connection between art and beauty with its various installations, was particularly impressive. Participants were invited to experience visual impressions beyond the usual technological discussions.

The workshops offered not only knowledge transfer, but also practical experience. From technical skills to creative approaches, participants were able to apply and deepen their knowledge directly.

Political topics also found their place at Congress. Discussions about Julian Assange, data protection, censorship and climate-friendliness enabled an in-depth discussion of current challenges of our time.

Competitions created tension and challenge in various areas, from hacking to entertaining competitions. Participants were able to demonstrate their skills and compete in different disciplines. The exchange of ideas with other Nerds extended beyond digital topics and enabled participants to exchange views on various interests and passions.

The diverse range includes karaoke, language workshops and a range of musical genres from hip hop to electric. Parties, retrospectives and slams made a successful mix of fun and intellectual challenge. The Congress offered a versatile journey through art, technology, politics and entertainment, which not only informed, but also inspired participants.

The topic of AI has hardly been able to escape in recent times, so there have been much more lectures this year that dealt with this topic, contrary to the last congress. Significantly more lectures dealt explicitly with the topic and others had taken into account in their lectures. One of the lectures that KI put in the centre was “Self-cannibalizing AI”.

The presentation covers generative AI models and their possible biases. It is examined how machines learn from each other and influence themselves in the generative process. The speakers use artistic strategies such as feedback and hacking to understand the internal processes of image generation models. Experiments include stable diffusion pipelines, data set evaluation and NSFW classification. It refers to the dependence of limited data sets and possible political implications. Models are broken down into dataset, embedding and diffusion. The filtering of large datasets by aesthetic prediction algorithms and NSFW classifiers is addressed. CLIP and Open-CLIP as the basis for generative models are illuminated, including possible biases. Finally, the focus is on image generation, especially the stable diffusion pipeline and its tendencies for pattern repetition and error accumulation.

Source: https://media.ccc.de/v/37c3-12125-self-cannibalizing_ai

In the meantime, Nerds also think about the coronavirus, which has occupied us in recent years and is still ubiquitous. The talk “Operation Triangulation: What You Get When Attack iPhones of Researchers” reminds that there are other viruses.

The lecture provides an exciting insight into the discovery of a zero-click attack on Apple devices. The speakers were able to capture all phases of the attack, which led to the elimination of four zero-day security points and the discovery of the highly developed spyware called “Operation Triangulation”. The presentation provided detailed insights into the analysis of the attack by showing how the vulnerabilities, including four previously unknown zero-days, were exploited. Especially impressive was the representation of malware capabilities that transformed a mobile phone into a powerful surveillance instrument. In addition, connections to already known malwares were identified. Overall, the lecture offered an impressive presentation of the most demanding attack chain and spyware discovered by Kaspersky.

Source: https://media.ccc.de/v/37c3-11859-operation_triangulation_what_you_get_when_attack_iphones_of_researchers

The development in computer science is progressing more rapidly than ever, and the question arises whether our security mechanisms, in particular with regard to encryption and encrypted communication, are still sufficient in this rapid development. The talk “The Impact of Quantum Computers in Cybersecurity” has dealt with this topic.

It was about the cost of algorithms in cyber security, especially in connection with quantum computing. The speaker has illuminated the application of quantum-based, mechanical learning algorithms for defense and potential quantum attacks on cryptography. The theoretical advantages of quantum algorithms for the detection of unauthorized network access are particularly important for defense. The ability to identify potential security injuries at quantum mechanical level could be a decisive step forward in cyber defense. Research at CQT has made progress in quantum computing through measurements of quantum circuits. Potential threats were highlighted by powerful quantum computers. Overall, it was an instructive exploration of the link between quantum computing and cyber security.

Source: https://media.ccc.de/v/37c3-12034-the_impact_of_quantum_computers_in_cybersecurity

We were really impressed by the extensive offer and the fascinating topics next to the lectures. The respectful atmosphere has made the experience particularly pleasant. Our personal highlight was definitely the CTF competition. Although we did not take part this time, we could get to know many interesting people. Next year, however, we are planning to participate in the CTF and conquer flags – we can hardly expect it!