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Finn Linked To Lizard Squad Christmas Attack

Posted by timothy on from the little-griefers dept.

An anonymous reader writes Security researcher Mikko Hyppönen from F-Secure told the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and Finland's MTV news that rumours have been circulating for several months about the Lizard Squad group of hackers who say they disrupted the two computer games console networks on Christmas Day. He confirmed that at least one of them is a Finn. One of the hackers, in a Skype interview from Finland by Britain's Sky News, said that the attack was carried out for amusement and to expose security flaws in the networks. Hyppönen told Helsingin Sanomat and MTV that his company has been aware of the hacker group for several months. 'According to our information, the group has members in the United States, Canada, England and at least one member in Finland,' he told MTV. The nationalities of other members that participated in the Christmas attack have not been confirmed. Hyppönen noted that these kinds of groups come and go, and that their members are usually young.

23 of 51 comments (clear)

  1. Erm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Since when did DDOS utilise a security flaw?

    1. Re:Erm by cseg · · Score: 1

      Denial of Service is a very valid possible form of security flaw.

    2. Re:Erm by Zocalo · · Score: 3, Informative

      The two are not mutually exclusive, especially if the effect of the security flaw is compounded by multiple connections, for instance being able to use the exploit to turn a child process into a zombie and another child to be spawned until resources are exhausted. There's two security flaws there; the ability for a remote client to zombify the children and not having a cap on the maximum number of children in the config.

      --
      UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
    3. Re: Erm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      They did a 1.2 tb bandwidth crack that is 3x's larger than last time. They claim to control routers on some major pipelines. Those sir, are security flaws.

  2. ORLY! by camg188 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    No mention in TFA about how they determined this guy was in the Lizard Squad except that he claims to be.
    "Rumors have been circulating", but no mention about what the rumors are or if they were involved with identifying this hacker.
    Hey, but if it's on Finland's MTV then it must be true. But why is my skeptical sense tingling?

    1. Re:ORLY! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Predicting what services would be taken down and when, suggest at least insider knowledge. These groups ar just script kiddies using existing exploits triggering remove DDoS attacks. Why so skeptical, it's trivial to do yourself.

      Sony's recent data leaks have been knocking around for ages, they were found to have SQL injection exploits a good three months ago; although they did a good job of having the media pretend nothing was happening. These are the same elementary programming problems Sony had in 2011 when they shut down the PSN for a month and were roasted in congress, and again in 2008. Sony don't give a crap about security. The simple equation is which costs more, the negligible monetary damage from hacks, or the cost to fix their broken code. Business chose the former.

    2. Re:ORLY! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      But why is my skeptical sense tingling?

      A meeting of lizards and spiders is know to cause tingling senses.

    3. Re:ORLY! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Despite its name, MTV is not the music television that you know, but a respected TV channel and news agency.

    4. Re:ORLY! by fintux · · Score: 1

      The parent is not a joke and should not be modded as funny. The MTV in Finland is short for "mainostelevisio", literally "advertisement television", and is Finland's oldest commercial TV channel. It has absolutely nothing to do with the Music Television, and it actually IS a respected TV channel and news agency.

  3. Might use DNS amplification by grimJester · · Score: 1

    Not an expert, but DDoS attacks can use security flaws and often do.

  4. Profile of the perps: by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hyppönen noted that these kinds of groups come and go, and that their members are usually young.

    This is to be expected, as the perps have xbox and playstation accounts, have probably gotten a few bans for cheating, or even kicked off the networks, and have a disproportionate sense of self-entitlement.

    That should help narrow it down to a few million suspects.

    --
    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
    1. Re:Profile of the perps: by Rashdot · · Score: 2

      They could also be Finnish Thin Lizzy fans.

      --
      This is not the sig you're looking for.
  5. A computer security engineer's non hackable gifts by mallyn · · Score: 2
    I am a computer security engineer where I work.

    However, in my own personal life, I am just plain very old fashioned.

    I made each family member a gortex rain jacket by hand, using a non-computerized sewing machine.

    People say this is old fashioned, considering that I work with computers every day.

    Well, now I can say to them that my gifts cannot be hacked or DDOS'd.

    --
    Most Respectfully Yours Mark Allyn Bellingham, Washington
  6. Re:clarification for 'mericuns by quenda · · Score: 1, Informative

    Finland, Finland, Finland
    The country where I want to be
    Pony trekking or camping
    Or just watching TV
    Finland, Finland, Finland
    It's the country for me

    You're so near to Russia
    So far from Japan
    Quite a long way from Cairo
    Lots of miles from Vietnam

    Finland, Finland, Finland
    The country where I want to be
    Eating breakfast or dinner
    Or snack lunch in the hall
    Finland, Finland, Finland
    Finland has it all

    You're so sadly neglected
    And often ignored
    A poor second to Belgium
    When going abroad

    Finland, Finland, Finland
    The country where I quite want to be
    Your mountains so lofty
    Your treetops so tall
    Finland, Finland, Finland
    Finland has it all

  7. you mean, their twitter accont showing "Finland".. by GNious · · Score: 1

    You man that their official twitter account showing "Finland" as location, was enough of a hint? :)

  8. Well, that's vague by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 4, Funny

    Finn Linked To Lizard Squad Christmas Attack

    Also he was a guy and is likely to have two legs.

    Is it bad that my first thought was that it was the guy from Tron?

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
  9. Confirmation by Martin+S. · · Score: 1

    We still seem to be missing any independent confirmation of the Lizard Squad twitter claims. Until we do the most likely explanation is peak demand, they were slash-dotted by Christmas.

  10. Re:clarification for 'mericuns by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

    Levi in January is unreasonably cold in my experience.

    --
    I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
  11. MTV News? by phizi0n · · Score: 1

    I know slashdot has devolved drastically but has it really gotten to the point where it needs to reference MTV News for computer security topics?

    1. Re:MTV News? by TeknoHog · · Score: 1

      "Respected" as in the only nation-wide commercial channel for a long time, before the digital channel explosion. The M stands for "mainos" or commercial/advert, which was distinctive at a time when most programming came from the publicly funded national broadcasting company.

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
  12. There's this by hh4m · · Score: 1

    http://pastebin.com/gskVW3ae

    Here is a dox of all the lizard squad members. Do what you like with this information.

      Lizard Squad "Member" #1:
      'Chief' a/k/a 'ChF' a/k/a 'ChFTheCat' a/k/a 'Devin Bharath'
      Devin Bharath 1765 lawrence ave east apt 310 scarborough ON
      Sara S Bharath
      Home (905) 509-1626
      1013 Lytton Crt
      Pickering, ON L1W 3Z2
      N Bharath
      Home (905) 551-2206
      34 Longview Dr
      Bradford, ON L3Z 2H3
      2901 Kipling Ave
      Toronto, ON M9V 5E5

      Lizard Squad "Member" #2:
      'Criminal' a/k/a 'c' a/k/a 'Fatally'
    https://twitter.com/Fatally

      Lizard Squad "Member" #3:
      'Vypor' a/k/a 'VyporSquad' a/k/a 'Taylor Smyth'
      Name: Taylor Hayden Smyth /aka/ vypor
      DOB: 11/17/1998
      Address: 3845 Sunset Ln, Oxnard, CA 93035
    https://twitter.com/VyporSquad

      Lizard Squad "Member" #4:
      'KMS' a/k/a 'Rory Godfrey'
      Name: Rory Andrew Godfrey
      Address: 1620 One Wellington, Beaumont, TX 77706 (Lives with family could be in the Rowlett, TX area)
      Skype: u.n.d.e.r.s.c.o.r.e

      Lizard Squad "Owner" #5:
      'TakenTheGod' a/k/a
      Lizard squad was created by Taken The God. He is a former member of WyM friends of VM H is twitter is @TakenTheGod, also runs #NaziSec, #MrSquad, #SwaggSec.

      Instagram: http://instagram.com/swattedd
      Skype: Insta.Host Or swattedd
      Twitter: @swattedd -
      His (InstaHost #): (520) 441-1120

    Only did this because I don't have time to deal with them. What they're doing is pretty amateurish
    I got wind Rory was trying to DDoS my site on cloudfare and insult me on here
    Silly little Billy
    don't mess with me or my Fine Squad

    Cal Lemming @sleepycal
    CyberHQ

  13. Re:clarification for 'mericuns by RevWaldo · · Score: 1

    I just assumed they meant THE Finn.

    http://williamgibson.wikia.com...

    .

    --
    Prisencolinensinainciusol. Ol Rait!
  14. Re:A computer security engineer's non hackable gif by mallyn · · Score: 1

    No! I have been riding the MAX for 12 years. I have never been approached by any dealers of anything just because of my jacket.

    --
    Most Respectfully Yours Mark Allyn Bellingham, Washington