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FBI Carnivore Screwup Destroys E-Mail Evidence
An Anonymous Coward writes: "The FBI apparently used Carivore in an attempt to collect information on Osama bin Laden't network. Unfortunately they screwed up and collected information on "non-covered targets" (*ahem*, isn't this the sort of thing we weren't supposed to worry about...). Then the FBI tech was "so upset" that he destroyed ALL of the collected email, not only the information that was not covered by the warrant. Here is the SF Gate Story and EPIC's press release."
What is a geek to do when he can't rely on his own government to keep secret, accurate, and complete backups of his email!?
FBI Agent 1: We have a problem... Carnivore was doing its thing, but we got caught grabbing stuff we shouldn't!
FBI Agent 2: Hmmm. I know! We claim that some lowly tech in a spat of moral outrage deletes ALL the material as he is so offended that it captured the, uhh, "non-target" mail, but we actually keep all the files and use them as we see fit.
FBI Agent 1: Perfect!
FBI Agent 2: (Takes long drag off cigarette)
"They do not preach that their god will rouse them, a little before the Nuts work loose." Kipling, 'The Sons of Martha'
So Carnivore ate its own data? Maybe they should give it a new name. I think Cannibal would work pretty well.
For every post, there is an equal and opposite re-post.
Unfortunately, he must of have forgot the Laden:
/bin/laden
/bin.
rm -rf
We all know he just typed:
rm -rf
Possible Headline:
Kathleen Fent, do NOT read this story
from the oh-no-our-porn-tapes-are-public-domain dept.
Posted by CmdrTaco
WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED!!!!
An Anonymous Coward writes: "The FBI apparently used Carivore in an attempt to collect information on Osama bin Laden't network.
Gee, I didn't know Osama was dutch.
To-do List: Receive telemarketing call during a tornado warning. Check.
I'll bet I know how they figured out there was a problem:
[modal window]
Drive C:/ is Full.
[/modal window]
followed quickly with a blue screen of death.
#hmmm.. wots up with these warnings?
/etc/munch.etc /mnt/munchData/*
df -k
/dev/hde2 10 000 000 9 900 000 99% \
/mnt/Carnavor data
#Oh crap! All those emails! This is TOTALLY\
illegal!! I'd better restart that piece of crap..
/etc/rc.d/init.d/munch stop
vi
rm -Rf
/etc/rc.d/init.d/munch start
#whew. Legit again. I'm TOTALLY awsome!
not rm -rf... it runs on NT.. the stuff is probably still in the trash bin, or recycle box, or refuse pile, or Whatever-TF they call it.
I found it a bit odd that the scanned memo someone pointed to here is a print from an Outlook email client. Maybe the "missing" emails will be randomly sent to 50 contacts from their Lookout! address book by one of the email viruses floating around. I didn't figure the FBI would be running such an unsecure messaging platform. Maybe their systems really are "outdated."
Only the ones used to copy FOIA-released documents.
there was a giant carnivore, named Carni, which could eat tons and tons of terrorist email. The FBI promised the American citizens that they would be safe from the beast because terrorist email is like meat, and carnivores eat meat.
But, one day, the hideous creature was very, very hungry and ate some green leafy stuff. This made Carni very happy, for in reality he wasn't merely a carnivore, he was an omnivore. "It's all good" he thought as he merrily munched away, one megabite after another.
After the creature had gorged himself on the newly discovered delicacy, a cagesweeper (fbi agent) noticed that Carny looked bloated. The concerned agent looked into the throat of the monster and saw what had happened. "Spit it out", he screamed. "rm this", "rm that", "rm some more". "It's no use, there's too much in there". "rm -rf * #take that you bastard".
The final incantation did the trick, now Carni had plenty of room for more meat. Unfortunately, the poor cagesweeper found himself buried in a mountain of shit.
The moral of the story? There are no morals. This is the FBI.
There, OsamaBin Ladoni wields the Death Jet, a Jet with the power to destroy an entire building.
Will OsamaBin be able to rescue the FBI from the clutches of those Terrorist Privacy Advocate Infidels?!?!? Will Saddam learn that yuppie ex-president Ronald Reagan is his father? Will Arafat appear on the show Friends as rumored? Stay tuned.
/^[A-Z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Z0-9.-]+\.[A-Z]{2,4}$/i
I cant imagine why you know that but its mad funny. NOT OFFTOPIC by the way.
Mess Stuff Up
Hmm... I read this story and thought...
Is this the first time that a piece of software was defended when it did its' job-- but not what they told people-- by claiming "That's a bug, not a feature"?
Then I noticed my tinfoil hat was maladjusted. So I guess they really did goof, Carnivore is just a powerful (if maladjusted) tool for law enforcement, and my fears to the contrary are just their attempts to discredit my typical insights into their foul ways with an insidiously sublte use of their orbital mind control rays.
Do you like Japanese imports?