In context: Previous this month, an investigation published that Chinese language cryptocurrency farmers are passing off their used arduous drives as new and promoting them to customers and shops. The scandal principally concerned Seagate Exos server HDDs between 12TB and 16TB. Samples confirmed utilization between 15,000 and 50,000 hours, however now there may be even of extra well-liked distribution that extends to different force fashions.
Closing week, the researchers at Lutz Labs who uncovered the fraud discovered that the rip-off is extra well-liked than they first of all concept. In line with emails won after breaking the scoop, investigators came upon that the scammers had tampered with utilization metrics in lots of Seagate Ironwolf and Ironwolf Professional NAS drives so they may go as new, including to the choice of fashions affected.
The scammers accomplish the ruse through deleting the SMART utilization logs, affixing a bogus manufacturing date sticky label, converting the serial quantity, after which repackaging them as “new.” Even checking the force’s guaranty presentations it to be just right till 2029. Then again, the crew issues out a number of techniques to inform if those HDDs are used.
The primary and most simple factor to do is bodily check up on the force. Search for dents, scratches, and different put on at the housing. Additionally, test the SATA connector intently for indicators of use, like scuff marks from connecting or disconnecting the instrument. Take a look at the manufacturing date sticky label placement. It must be stage and in the correct position.
An internet guaranty test generally is a tell-tale signal, too. Lutz Labs notes that Seagate does not understand how lengthy it is going to take for a force to succeed in a buyer, so it generally provides a couple of months to the guaranty. A fraudulent HDD’s guaranty shall be precisely 5 years from the pretend manufacturing date.
Patrons too can verify the HDD’s age the usage of SMART tracking equipment like Smartmontools or SeaTools. This tool shall we customers view Seagate’s field-accessible reliability metrics (FARM). It is going to point out how lengthy the force used to be in use. Investigators discovered some that had logged over 50,000 hours.
It’s value noting that the researchers wondered whether or not Toshiba and Western Virtual drives had been suffering from the similar fraud. After trying out samples the usage of Smartmontools, researchers discovered that Toshiba and WD drives returned mistakes when validating FARM values. Toshiba showed that its drives best used SMART logs, and Western Virtual didn’t reply to a request to remark.
Seagate remains to be status company that it is going to now not change the drives because it didn’t distribute them. Then again, it would really like any person with a bogus HDD to touch fraud@seagate.com with main points as they’re nonetheless investigating the topic.
