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Gaining Root Access On Linux-Based Femtocells

Posted by Soulskill on from the feel-free-to-listen-in dept.

viralMeme writes "According to the Register, 'Security researchers have turned their attention to femtocells, and have discovered that gaining root on the tiny mobile base stations isn't as hard as one might hope.' One of the researchers said, 'After hours of sniffing traffic, changing IP address ranges, guessing passwords and investigating hardware pinouts, we had obtained root access on these Linux-based cellular-based devices, which piqued our curiosity [about] the security implications.' Whoever designed these devices should be sent back to computer school. An authentication device that can be bypassed is a contradiction in terms. Or, as some pen-pusher would put it in a report: an unantipicated security excursion.

6 of 102 comments (clear)

  1. Trouble by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    That's trouble o' some kind, George.

  2. Jedi Mind Trick, actually by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 4, Funny

    An authentication device that can be bypassed is a contradiction in terms.

    You don't need to see his identification.

    1. Re:Jedi Mind Trick, actually by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 5, Funny

      Verizon's ad campaign featuring an army of tower workers following customers around was hyperbolic. Sorry if you got confused.

      The joke's on you pal. All those cell towers use Yagi dipole antennae. They are neither parabolic not hyperbolic.

      --
      sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
  3. Re:So fix it by Sir_Lewk · · Score: 2, Funny

    Huh? Public keys are just that... public. A hash of a public key demonstrates nothing. ...wait a second. You were on the dev team of these femtocell things weren't you?

    --
    "linux is just DOS with a UNIX like syntax" -- Galactic Dominator (944134)
  4. Be not afraid by blair1q · · Score: 2, Funny

    I for one welcome our easily-rooted overlords.

  5. Oh my... so that's what's going on. by Petersko · · Score: 4, Funny

    I had no idea linux proponents were all Jedi. That explains everything.

    "You don't NEED the extra features in Photoshop."

    "You don't NEED integrated audio processing software."

    "You don't NEED anything OpenOffice doesn't have."

    "You don't NEED..."

    Now those Jedi need to start using their powers for good.

    "You NEED to write documentation for non-technical users..."