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Vote Tabulator Security Hole Exposed

Doc Ruby writes "Black Box Voting has exposed a security hole in Diebold machines that tabulate votes collected from electronic voting machines. A code entered into the tabulator's user interface duplicates the "secure" counts into an insecure count which can be changed, and counted instead. The "double books" vulnerability and exploit were reported to the manufacturer over a year ago, and confirmed, while major customers (California and Washington states) were notified shortly thereafter. In spite of some revisions, the latest version of the software remains insecure. Diebold voting machines running GEMS version 1.18.x are vulnerable, running in about three dozen states. Although the software is widely deployed, and scheduled for use in shortly upcoming elections, risk mitigations are available, mostly protocols restricting physical or network access to the machines. Other auditing/accountability measures for ensuring only trusted access to the system are recommended."

15 of 530 comments (clear)

  1. Let me know by Dwedit · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let me know when a candidate named "Diebold Sucks" wins 15% of the popular vote.

    1. Re:Let me know by Exatron · · Score: 4, Funny

      Sure, you're laughing now, but I'd like you to say that to President Diebold Sucks.

      --
      "I think so, Brain, but 'instant karma' always gets so lumpy." - Pinky
      "Decepticons FOREVER!!!" - Ravage
  2. This just in... by powerlinekid · · Score: 4, Funny

    Coming up later on News at 11; Diebold machines found to be insecure. This and a shocking expose proving once and for all that water is wet.

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    can't sleep slashdot will eat me
  3. Re:What is so fucking DIFFICULT about this?? by Hobadee · · Score: 1, Funny

    Yes, it may be, but look who we have as a President... ...I'm still waiting for someone to invent a "nuculer" bomb to confuse everyone with.

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    ...Had this been an actual emergency, we would have fled in terror, and you would not have been informed.
  4. Re:Election Stealing by proverbialcow · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is all about how the Republicans are going to steal the election... Again.

    Not if I can find out what the 'code' is...

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    The only surefire protection against Microsoft infections is abstinence. - The Onion
  5. Slashdot Poll by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I say we just have a Slashdot poll to determine who will be president, and with all the people signing up for Slashdot accounts my UID would be considered low. Sounds good to me.

  6. Florida, anyone? by Noryungi · · Score: 3, Funny
    Exit polls, 2004 US presidential election:
    • Georges W. Bush: 43.25%
    • John Kerry: 44.70%


    Official results of the 2004 presidential election, once all votes have been 'counted' by voting machines:

    • George W. Bush: 44.95%
    • John Kerry: 43.82%


    Since these numbers are within the margins of error, Bush is not going to need the Supreme Court this time.

    It sounds like something from a Mastercard joke:

    • New voting machines for everyone: $ 2.2 million per state.
    • Financing smear groups to attack John Kerry: $ 1.75 million.
    • Winning an election: Priceless.


    Be afraid. Be very afraid.
    --
    The right to offend is far more important than the right not to be offended. (Rowan Atkinson)
  7. Re:Something tells me... by mynameis+(mother+... · · Score: 4, Funny
    I can't believe they're actually trusting some random company with handling and counting votes.

    Random?!
    Diebold?!

    The company whos CEO, Walden O'dell, is "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year."

    Snigger... Oh the things one really shouldn't put on paper, sign, and mail to a buncha people ;)
    Where's my tinfoil....
  8. Guess I know who I am voting for... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    several hundred times.

  9. In other news... by VeryProfessional · · Score: 5, Funny

    It has been discovered that Paper(tm), a voting system planned to be widely deployed in the coming elections, suffers from numerous vulnerabilities.

    A security assessment taskforce has found that the system, in which a stylus is used to infuse chemical dyes onto a thin cellulose-based wafer, is vulnerable to a Denial Of Service attack in which the wafer is exposed to heat until fully oxidised. This renders the results unreadable. Furthermore, the wafers are unencrypted, which makes them vulnerable to replay and other man-in-the-middle attacks. Another attack involves exposing the wafers to lateral force until they are compressed, rendering them easier to dispose. This is known as the 'scrunch-it-and-trash-it' attack, which was made famous in the underground hacker classic Election, starring Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon.

    Members of the security community are said to be flabbergasted at the general level of public apathy towards these vulnerabilities, which the taskforce has given its highest threat rating.

  10. Re:What is so fucking DIFFICULT about this?? by AmazingRuss · · Score: 1, Funny

    Well, they managed to screw up with paper last time, too. Seemed that even though they HAD the paper, they didn't want to actually recount it all to settle the dispute.

    At least when the diebold boxes go tits up, there will be no data to argue over. Countless pointless editorials will not be written! Millions of dollars will be saved!

  11. Re:Captain Obvious Strikes Again… by clambake · · Score: 2, Funny

    Of course, that's provided said person doesn't pass a law to protect people in his situation once they're discovered.

    Dispite being ineligable to run for president due to not being old enough, I fully expect to win by a landslide this year on my one single campaign promise... 100% of the 2004 US treasury divided equally between all of the diebold stockholders, employees and thier respective family members and friends.

  12. Re:Captain Obvious Strikes Again by Smidge204 · · Score: 3, Funny

    So what really needs to happen is someone to rig the election... what do you think would happen if Bush got 500,000,000 votes in the state of Montana? :)

    =Smidge=

  13. Re:and JFK's whack..... by arose · · Score: 2, Funny

    The store calls you when they run out of tinfoil? You must be a good costumer.

    --
    Analogies don't equal equalities, they are merely somewhat analogous.
  14. Red Staters can't count so good. by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1, Funny

    You just keep thanking god, and we, the majority on the coasts, will keep making the money that's always propped you up since you massacred the Indians. Just remember that we don't need you brain-drainees so much now that the Cold War is over, so when your pickups are trudging through the next Dust Bowl, searching for the last gallon of gas, don't come whining to us about how we've moved on. And keep your apocalypse stories away from our Button.

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    make install -not war