Hack Attack?

Nevermore · Post by **Nevermore** » Sat May 01, 2004 9:53 pm

What's going on? Have Transformers suddenly become unpopular among the haXX0r community?

- A certain site that provides lots of great galleries of the latest TF toys (I won't name the site at the owner's request) that has recently been hacked has just become unavailable again.
- http://www.tfu.info was unavailable for the last few days, although it's possible that that was just due to bandwidth problems, as the error message stated.
- http://www.fantofan.com is currently unavailable.
- http://www.pretf.com/ has vanished into oblivion.

So what the hell is going here?

dedicon · Post by **dedicon** » Sat May 01, 2004 9:59 pm

yeah.i tried to get to the "certain site" a few hours ago and its offline again.
i think its the second time in a week.

Nevermore · Post by **Nevermore** » Sat May 01, 2004 10:05 pm

I guess the site's owner will be pretty pissed... The last time, he had to upload the entire site again because those ******* haXX0rZ deleted everything.

Now, I just can't understand that. I mean it's one thing to point out security leaks by maybe changing or deleting the index page, but wiping out the entire site is just not funny anymore.

Reminds me of the time a few years ago when some b***ards from Malaysia hacked the server that hosts, among others, one of my regular German boards and a website I'm woking for and turned it into a UT server...

Mega Starscream · Post by **Mega Starscream** » Sun May 02, 2004 3:01 am

Hackers are stupid. Those guys get a thrill out of ruining other peoples work

Sir Auros · Post by **Sir Auros** » Sun May 02, 2004 4:14 am

I can't even begin to comprehend the motivations between hacking a place like his wonderful site...I mean, back in the earlier days when Seibertron/Tranfans/Us weren't getting along very well at all, maybe, but who'd do something like that now other than some random prick?

Post by **Denyer** » Sun May 02, 2004 5:03 am

Webhosts need to be made more culpable for loss of data, for starters... too many are wide open to old exploits.

There is no h4xx0r community as such... there's many thousands of small groups, most operating in relationships with one another analogous with Lord Of The Flies.

I'd guess the value of a site such as Remy's is that it provides a springboard for other exploits, not simply that defacement is a goal in itself.

TFU has always had bandwidth problems. Devvi's site has disappeared many times over the years. Never heard of FanToFan, actually.

Nevermore · Post by **Nevermore** » Sun May 02, 2004 9:19 am

Ah, it's back online. Either it was simply a server problem this time, or he installed better failsafes after the first hack.

Nevermore · Post by **Nevermore** » Wed May 05, 2004 7:53 pm

Okay... That's pretty bad. Another server has been hacked... The one that hosts a German board I regularly attend and also a site I'm working for...
The hack made the server start DOS attacks. Appears to be some sort of competition (!).

The Wild One · Post by **The Wild One** » Thu May 06, 2004 12:44 am

I work for an internet company, doing tech support. Over this last Saturday, this bitch of a virus hit over several states in just one by going into people's computers, by randomly scanning ip's. Needless to say, my weekend and the week so far is going pretty bad. It just goes to say that hackers are just people with very little to do, and like to prove that they are imature by say, "oh yeah, I can break this!" I personally just wish people would get a life.

Post by **Denyer** » Thu May 06, 2004 2:17 am

Companies certainly aren't getting out of their obligations that easily. Microsoft, for example, have gone out of their way to provide connectivity so far above and beyond the needs of home users, they've given the entire world the keys to Windows machines.

Out of the box XP is a liability, for instance.

Garand · Post by **Garand** » Thu May 06, 2004 3:59 am

Originally posted by Denyer
Out of the box XP is a liability, for instance.

I jsut got back from a Microsoft Security Summit. Service Pack 2 will fix all those issues since that is now what the public demands.

Anyone one who works on PC's or networks in America should attend one. www.microsoft.com/usa/events

Post by **Denyer** » Thu May 06, 2004 4:16 am

Too little, too late. In each instance, the buying public have been the guinea pigs for such technologies as DCOM, ActiveX, Windows Messenger, HTML Help (which can launch executables), Office macros, etc.

http://www.grc.com/xpdite/xpdite.htm

Users should not be responsible for deploying service packs which represent hundreds of megabytes of downloads because the parent company is incompetent in the first place.

It's because of Microsoft that there are currently hundreds of thousands of compromised PCs out there, waiting to be pointed at targets by their remote controllers. That should never have been possible.

The Wild One · Post by **The Wild One** » Sat May 08, 2004 6:45 pm

Originally posted by Denyer
Users should not be responsible for deploying service packs which represent hundreds of megabytes of downloads because the parent company is incompetent in the first place.

Yes, I know. I just wish microsoft would at least look into protecting all possibilities beforehand.

Post by **Denyer** » Sun May 09, 2004 1:32 am

Gonna punt this to GD now...

I'm starting to come around to the way of thinking which says Microsoft actually let this crap through to encourage upgrades. The volume of patches required puts them beyond the ability of the average home user to re-download and deploy if they're forced to reinstall.

The only thing they, as a company, seem to have learned is that an operating system should not come with non-vital services switched on. People who actually have a clue about programming architecture and quality control accepted this as the only safe approach years ago.

And if I can wrap my head around these concepts, people who affect the daily security of millions damn well ought to be able to.

Claypool · Post by **Claypool** » Sun May 09, 2004 2:34 am

isnt it CRACKERS that go and destroy sites and HACKERS are the ones policing them? Or is it the other way around? either way, I rule

Post by **Denyer** » Sun May 09, 2004 2:56 am

Hacking, at least traditionally, doesn't imply a negative connotation. All it actually means, in fact, is someone being good at what they do. Its roots aren't even in technology.

Generally speaking, h4xx0r5 = crackers = script kiddies. The dark side.

The general public, as in so many other matters, is ignorant. You could think of it as being a little like how humans in Sunbow cartoons only see big alien robots shooting things, not Autobots and Decepticons. The people who've made technology what it is (eg, Steve Wozniak) are hackers, and most of them identify with that label and culture (people who don't just know things but work them out, rather than choosing to be ignorant.)

ThePeacemkr2 · Post by **ThePeacemkr2** » Sun May 09, 2004 3:03 am

Originally posted by Denyer
Hacking, at least traditionally, doesn't imply a negative connotation. All it actually means, in fact, is someone being good at what they do. Its roots aren't even in technology.

Generally speaking, h4xx0r5 = crackers = script kiddies. The dark side.

The general public, as in so many other matters, is ignorant. You could think of it as being a little like how humans in Sunbow cartoons only see big alien robots shooting things, not Autobots and Decepticons. The people who've made technology what it is (eg, Steve Wozniak) are hackers, and most of them identify with that label and culture (people who don't just know things but work them out, rather than choosing to be ignorant.)

Actually, Wozniak listens in to other peoples cell phone conversations sometimes. I have a quote somewhere along the lines of "The airwaves are free".

And with the cracker/hacker thing - a lot of hackers would probably get upset if you called a cracker or hacker, but in reality, I rarely actually see "cracker" used. More often I see "white" and "black" hat used.

I have nothing against those who might hack a site to see if they are capable of doing it, or testing for vulnerabilities - but if they do something malicious, such as deleting data... well, I really don't like those people.*

*unless the site happens to begin with "godhates" and is run by someone with a last name of Phelps...

Oh, and with the word "hacker" in my post, I am reffering to people who hack sites, servers, and other computers, as opposed to simply those who are experts in something.

Post by **Denyer** » Sun May 09, 2004 3:17 am

Originally posted by ThePeacemkr2
I have a quote somewhere along the lines of "The airwaves are free".

Which they are. People try to regulate them more for the purpose of making money than providing any kind of important public service...

You can't opt out of having crap TV channels and cell phone radiation aimed through your house, for instance, but you can be sued for 'receiving' them. Go figure.

Plenty of cases where people have picked up radio on their teeth, etc. And yet they're capable of having 'no effect' on the body. Pull the other one... no, I don't think the effects extend to level some cranks would have us believe, but nor do I think something has to be seen or has to affect everyone for it to be of concern. Our brains are electrical impulses. They've evolved in an environment without the levels of background static they're now exposed to.

Originally posted by ThePeacemkr2
in reality, I rarely actually see "cracker" used.

Most people don't see in black & white as much now. Treating it as a spectrum into which actions are placed is more appropriate in many ways.

I'd still love for those who see 'hacker' as only a negative connotation to remove every piece of electrical equipment from their homes. All engineers are hackers, and we are nothing without engineering. Might as well climb back into the trees and freeze to death.

Originally posted by ThePeacemkr2
unless the site happens to begin with "godhates" and is run by someone with a last name of Phelps...

Definitely. Falls under the heading of public service... far more than the 'right' to attack people for being happy ever can.

Tempest · Post by **Tempest** » Sun May 09, 2004 4:24 am

More crap, more people have to deal with ... because people get jollies for releasing things that can **** up people for weeks. First it was this damn W32 Worm and nows it some super verison (from what I've heard over the last couple of days) and Windows is releasing stuff for quick fix ... create a damn patch that wil stop this crap for good and I'll be happy ...

In case your wondering, my friend and I were running a server for people that wanted to host stuff and other important stuff, was hit the other day ... we spent 3 days getting it up and running properly ... damn them to hell I say.

Post by **Denyer** » Sun May 09, 2004 4:42 am

Originally posted by Tempest
create a damn patch that wil stop this crap for good and I'll be happy

I'd say it involves not running Windows.

Seriously, I'm not being facetious. In the meantime, turning off unnecessary services, avoiding MS internet software, etc, is the best bet. They've proven time and time again that 'closed security' is an unworkable concept in their hands.

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