Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Microsoft Programming Contest Hacked and Defaced

Posted by kdawson on from the star-developers dept.

davidmwilliams writes "Microsoft followed their major annual Tech-Ed event in Australia with a week-long programming contest called 'DevSta,' to find 'star developers.' While the quantity and quality of submissions suggest a poor turnout, it certainly caught the attention of at least two hackers who left their mark. Here is the low-down on the contest, what happened, by whom, and screen shots for posterity in case it's been fixed by the time you read this. And unless the volume of submissions increase dramatically within the next few hours, someone may be awarded an Xbox for doing nothing more than rewriting the Windows calculator as a .NET app."

13 of 151 comments (clear)

  1. Microsoft catching the attention of hackers? by duckInferno · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nooo.

    This isn't news. If it were, it'd carry a headline like "Microsoft Programming Contest Security Thwarts Hackers" and be about how Microsoft employed some effective security measures without subjecting all applicants to activity-monitoring rootkit DRM and attendees to cavity-searches.

    --
    Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, watch it -- I'm huge!
    1. Re:Microsoft catching the attention of hackers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      This isn't news. If it were, it'd carry a headline like "Microsoft Programming Contest Security Thwarts Hackers" and be about how Microsoft employed some effective security measures without subjecting all applicants to activity-monitoring rootkit DRM and attendees to cavity-searches.

      Cavity search is news to me. Where do I sign up?

    2. Re:Microsoft catching the attention of hackers? by nmb3000 · · Score: 5, Informative

      This isn't news.

      Well, you're right about that at least. The whole thing is a joke. Here is the evidence (consider yourself saved from 3 pages of ads):

      Exhibit A
      Exhibit B

      So somebody found (probably) a SQL injection vulnerability in an obscure Microsoft-hosted site and changed a few submission titles and comments? This is news? It's not like they defaced microsoft.com or anything else even slightly significant.

      They couldn't even do something creative with the hole they found. Kids these days...

      --
      "What do you despise? By this are you truly known." --Princess Irulan, Manual of Muad'Dib
      /)
    3. Re:Microsoft catching the attention of hackers? by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The scale of the hack is pretty pathetic. Unfortunately, so is the quality of the entries. A bunch of calculator apps, a couple of twitter frontends, and a few old school arcade clones(and don't forget the cellphone stalker app. I will charitably extend the hope that all the good ideas are going to be submitted in the last few minutes, out of concern that they would be ripped off.

      "All y'all penguins put your flippers on your heads, this abacus has the power of Windows Presentation Foundation!"

    4. Re:Microsoft catching the attention of hackers? by spintriae · · Score: 5, Informative

      Okay guys, what do you expect from a week-long contest for an Xbox? The next killer web browser?

  2. XBox for rewriting calc by Finallyjoined!!! · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nobody wants an XBox that badly do they? :-)

    --
    If I had an Ass, I'd call it Fanny Bottom, then I could slap my Ass; Fanny Bottom, on the Arse.
  3. Microsoft Programming Contest Hacked and Defaced by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 5, Funny

    So it's like all their other software then?

    --
    No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
  4. rewriting the windows calculator? by Punto · · Score: 5, Funny

    What about the guy who found a security hole on IIS and wrote and exploit for it? that sounds way cooler than rewriting calc.

    --

    --
    Stay tuned for some shock and awe coming right up after this messages!

    1. Re:rewriting the windows calculator? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      What about the guy who found a security hole on IIS and wrote and exploit for it? that sounds way cooler than rewriting calc.

      Easier too.

  5. Google: $10M in prizes, MS: an XBox by EmbeddedJanitor · · Score: 5, Insightful
    http://code.google.com/android/adc.html

    Anyone wonder why only some pissed off script kiddies are playing?

    --
    Engineering is the art of compromise.
    1. Re:Google: $10M in prizes, MS: an XBox by spintriae · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Google is counting on participants to develop killer apps for their Android platform. Android's success depends on the results of that contest. I've contributed to it and I know people who have spent months and lots of money developing apps for that contest.

      The Microsoft thing seems to be a week-long "speed hack" aimed at a small audience just for fun. Hardly the same thing. Oh, but this is /. and the subject is M$, so let's all foam at the mouths and spew venom all over ourselves.

  6. Microsoft programmers....stars? Too funny... by subnomine · · Score: 5, Informative

    I speak from about 15 years experience at multiple companies and not bias that the more "Microsofty" the programmer is, the worse they are.
    The current project I am on is full of the Microsoft way of doing things. And get this:
    We have a Linux server and Windows client, and they designed a Windows Registry as an interface to the database on Linux. They are having piss-poor performance due to many design issues related to this thing. I should probably post it to Daily WTF. I mean WTF indeed.

    Who wants to be a Microsoft Star!! Wooohoo!

  7. Re:Let me be the first to say by dhalgren · · Score: 5, Funny

    In other news, Alanis Morissette is found posting on Slashdot under the name 'db32'.