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Security Focus on Cable Modem Uncapping

Posted by chrisd on from the a-new-way-to-go-to-court dept.

Anonymous Coward writes "Cable modem uncapping allows broadband customers to boost their bandwidth to 6 or 7 times what they're paying for, by spoofing their modem's TFTP client into downloading a hacked DOCSIS configuration file. Kevin Poulsen at SecurityFocus reports that a new underground program called OneStep makes the process easy and fun for the whole family. Broadband companies are cutting off the uncappers that they catch, but things could get out of control soon."

10 of 484 comments (clear)

  1. Hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll
    What's better?

    (a) Cable Modem Uncapping

    or

    (b) Sex with a mare

  2. Easy to catch by CmdrTaco+(editor) · · Score: 1, Troll
    I've been reading the forums at DSLReports for a while now, and even found the software to do the uncapping myself. But, the stories about people who successfully uncapped their modems are always the same; the speeds were great for a couple days, and then BAM! No more internet connection.

    It is awfully tempting to look at the benefits, but with cable being the only high speed connection in my area, I'm not willing to risk losing the service. Going back to 56k would just be torture. It doesn't matter how many people do this uncapping thing, as long as people realize that it could result in their broadband connection being terminated, their will never be enough to convince ISP's that maybe it shouldn't be a terminable offense.

    I know ATTBI is planning on releasing a tiered pricing system for different speeds, so what I find more likely is that they will start charging you the rate for which you have uncapped yourself to. Could end up being pretty pricey if you've placed yourself in a business class service.

  3. I have a better solution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    My friends kept telling me about hacking DOCSIS but i was a little worried about being cut off from my service. I mean, come on, how hard can it be for AT&T to detect this? I searched around for a better solution to no avail until I found this little gem. Not only do you get 9+ times the increase in bandwidth speed, but your local cable company has no way of detecting it.

    Anyway, have fun with it...

  4. Re:Property vs Service by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll
    You have all been trolled.


    Thanks for playing.


    - The poster

  5. Cockchugging by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Yes, cockchugging, that's the name of the slashdot game. You fucking twinks just don't get how slimy and fucking undesirable all of you are. You're like, ugh, just a bit less disgusting than that greasy fucking dick-wrangler RMS. Ugh, and you linux fucks are such elitists. It makes me sick that you bum-touchers really feel superior to anyone, when Linux, a half-baked pile of crap, nowhere nearly in ballpark quality caliber. What a travesty, you buttfucks (see: Linus) could have been working on the already open sauced Berkely Code, without sucking RMS' withered GNU hippie cock. The Berkeley open source license is far less restrictive and allows for better free market philosophy (the GNU license is commie garbage. If you don't see that, I truely pity you.)

  6. Here's a similar package: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    This tiny app not only got me some free bandwidth, but it also contains a lot of useful info igsn the man pages. Try `docsishack -r -ms -gs -c -x` for some great verbosity!!

  7. Mod this up! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    How long does it take for a palestinian to make a bomb?

    It takes 9 months!

  8. Re:Don't bother trying this... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    preach on motherfucker. me and my niggas were chilling on the couch talking shit about crappy upload speeds, and it took us like 5 minutes to figure this out. it's funny to think that securityfocus (woo, big bad haxor dewds, psyche) are still ranting about this bullshit. makes me want to puke. PUKE

  9. Re:Don't bother trying this... by Rogerborg · · Score: 1, Troll
    • motorola cable-modems are looking on both sides (cable and ethernet) for a TFTP server. Yes it's stupid... but they do

    Yes, that's right, because they bring up the ethernet interface before they've brought up the cable side, negotiated the frequencies, been told where to get the docsis file, and received it on the cable interface.

    No, wait... actually they don't, as can easily be veried by pinging one as it comes up and noting that it doesn't go live on the ethernet side until after negotiating on the cable side.

    Also, providers don't "switch to DOCSIS". DOCSIS modems will do squat unless there's a DOCSIS compliant cable network for them to get their info from. That's another reason why this is just hackers mouthing off (or getting very, very confused): until a DOCSIS modem has been told what file to get and from where (from the cable side, after negotiating frequencies), it won't try and get it, nor will it forward packets.

    Incidentally, it's true that Surfboards will bring up the ethernet interface eventually, but only for the limited purposes of acting as a DHCP server on a LAN, and only after cable side negotiation has failed.

    --
    If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
  10. Re:Don't bother trying this... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    my *ahem* improved mc[hell]si cable service has been down for 36 hours 4 times since they switched companies. I regularly get 5 minuite blackouts (as in once an hour or so), and I cannot download faster than 3kb/s.

    I'm seriously considering moving back to 56k because it would be FASTER AND MORE RELIABLE (not to mention I wouldn't be fronting the bill for a 128k up/down pipe, and getting a 10k down 1k up pipe, thats on occasionally)

    (oh and if your from mchsi, sorry to say, but your company is the suke)