Hotel Minibar Key Opens Diebold Voting Machines

Billosaur writes, "As if Diebold doesn't have enough to worry about! On the Freedom To Tinker blog, Ed Felten, one of the co-authors of the recent report 'Security Analysis of the Diebold AccuVote-TS Voting Machine', reveals an even more bizarre finding related to the initial report. It turns out that you can gain access to an AccuVote-TS machine using a hotel minibar key. In fact, the key in question is a utilitarian type used to open office furniture, electronic equipment, jukeboxes, and the like. They might as well hand them out like candy."

Comments

Re:Why would we expect anything else?

[KingSkippus]

Open source systems are just as useless as the Diebold equipment without a permanent voter-verified paper trail.

Dude, RTF Site:

The OVC recommended procedure for tabulating elections relies on a paper ballot that is then fed through a scanner into a locked ballot box so that all originals are saved in case of the need for a recount or audit.

Just for pointing that out, I want another damn +5!

The lock is even less sophisticated than that.

[JaredOfEuropa]

If you watch the video of the university guys explaining the hack, you'll see a good closeup of the lock. The lock looks like a real cheapy one; something you'd find on one of those floppy disk / CD storage boxes, or the kind they put on suitcases. I betya the keys for those boxes/suitcase will open this lock as well, with a little jiggling. Hell, these locks can be opened with 2 paper clips.

Re:You would be amazed at what keys will open what

[John3]

Most of those smaller lock cylinders use the same key patterns. Those desk drawer keys and cabinet keys use a very common key blank (usually a Y11 based on a Yale brand cylinder) and from that point there are only a few combinations of cut. Cash drawer manufacturers and receipt printer companies use the same common key, so that explains why you can open McDonald's cash registers..you can likely open mine as well. For cash drawers the key is really just functioning as a latch...same wtih desk drawers and cabinets. A determined thief will get in anyway so it's just to keep the casual thief from pulling the drawer open without delay.

For a voting machine one would hope that they would have used more secure cylinders like the round 7-pin cylinders or maybe Medeco style. The voting machine locks should be at least as secure as unattended machines that hold money, like soda machines, slot machines, even pay phones. Those machines have secure locks with tough-to-duplicate keys. I guess protecting Pepsi is more important than our protecting electoral process.

John

Re:Why would we expect anything else?

[Beryllium Sphere(tm)]

>I know, dumb answer, because Diebold pays the people who decide lots and lots of money.

That's a documented fact, not random cynicism:

Voting machine vendors offer cruises, funding and jobs to election officials.