Slashdot Mirror
FBI Must Reveal The Code It Used To Hack Dark Web Pedophiles (engadget.com)
schwit1 writes: A judge has ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation to turn over the complete code it used to infiltrate a child pornography site on the Dark Web, Motherboard reports. The FBI seized the Tor-based site known as "Playpen" in February 2015 and kept it running via its own servers for two weeks -- during this time, the bureau deployed a hacking tool that identified at least 1,300 IP addresses of visitors to the site worldwide.
Playpen was "the largest remaining known child pornography hidden service in the world," according to the FBI. Roughly 137 people have been charged in the sting so far, Motherboard says. On Wednesday, a lawyer for one of the defendants won the right to view all of the code that the FBI used during the Playpen operation, apparently including the exploit that bypassed the Tor Browser's security features.
Playpen was "the largest remaining known child pornography hidden service in the world," according to the FBI. Roughly 137 people have been charged in the sting so far, Motherboard says. On Wednesday, a lawyer for one of the defendants won the right to view all of the code that the FBI used during the Playpen operation, apparently including the exploit that bypassed the Tor Browser's security features.
if (user.isUsing(NetworkType.Tor))
return true;
Playpen was "the largest remaining known-to-us child pornography hidden service in the worldnot counting those we choose not to admit we know about," according to the FBI.
There, fixed that for you.
it would be interesting to find out if and how it was verified as *all*.
I thought Eliot did this in the pilot for Mr Robot.
I think the bigger story here is that the FBI actually ran a child porn site instead of knocking it offline... WTF. We all understand the premise of why they did it but that can't be a legal way to catch those people. You can't break the law to uphold the law. That's an oxymoron right?
Can you imagine working for their I.T. department when that order came down? "You want me to do what?"
How fast would this lawyer disappear into a government black prison if he were to share the details?
Submissions should preferably link to primary sources instead of sites that just repackage the story from the original, i.e. just link to Motherboard's article to begin with and give them the clicks instead of Engadget.
Let's say the FBI wanted to do some task with software, but didn't have the expertise in house. So they discuss what they want done with a third party, who decides they can do it but will only license the software to the FBI, not sell it to them outright. As part of their agreement, they supply a binary module (like a graphics driver blob file) to the FBI they can interface with.
Now, the FBI ends up being required to reveal its code to a defendant. The third party module ends up being key to the defendant's discovery. The FBI doesn't have the source code to the module, so they can't supply it -- in fact, they have a binding contract saying they can only have the binary module.
Does the third party have to reveal their source code? Can the FBI effectively hide behind their contract with the third party?
If yes, it seems kind of scary -- the FBI can basically outsource their techniques and then hide behind their contracts. Scary because I would imagine the defendants might be making a case that the evidence convicting them is false, but because the FBI could hide behind a third party contract, the defendant can't verify the claims. The FBI, could, in theory at least, use sham agreements to ensure their dirty work remains beyond discovery.
The similar kinds of things I can think of are the DWI cases that were challenged over the source code to breathalyzers and the contract language of at least one of the Stingray makers who forbid the details of their device being revealed.
1,300 seems a bit low for the "largest" child porn site. Makes me wonder if the exploit only worked on certain operating systems or older versions of the Tor Browser. If I recall correctly, the exploit they used a few years ago with Freedom Hosting sites used an exploit that was already patched, but many people still hadn't updated their Tor Browsers, or didn't use proper security settings, and were caught.
So I really wonder if that's the case here.
Well, it's only a judge asking the FBI to release some information (and pretty please no parallel construction this time, if you don't mind that is).
But given they can run major pedophile websites for a couple weeks without any consequences, it looks like they aren't really in that whole "following the law" business.
When the executive goes rogue, judicials waving their wooden hammers around doesn't achieve anything.
Submissions should preferably link to primary sources instead of sites that just repackage the story from the original, i.e. just link to Motherboard's article to begin with and give them the clicks instead of Engadget.
Which is to say, here: http://motherboard.vice.com/re...
I know Flash content could bypass a Tor-protected browser.
This is all just a game.
FBI have no real interest in the sexual deviants, they only want the tools and to be allowed to use the tools for whatever they want. The entire stings are public pleasers, get whoever the public have decided to hate this decennial and get the tools to get EVERYONE (not only the sexual deviants), but eventually when they LEGALLY got whatever tools they want - so NO one is safe, regardless of belief, creed, sexual orientation or political beliefs - the point is they want access to whatever you do, think and consider, every opinion that you have - so this can be used against you in a world with more and more rules, the masses being ruled by the few that wants it all.
What this world is coming to - is for you and me to decide.
Unfortunately, that seems very, very likely. The very amorality of running the site for a time, when the DOJ's says that a main reason to make this type of content illegal is that it victimizes those depicted again is staggering. Only this time they were raped again by the FBI with official sanction. If that is not much, much worse, then I do not know what it. Hence I conclude that this is not about those targeted at all, and it certainly is not about protecting any victims.
Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
Motherless hosted CP and bestiality without any repercussions. Most obvious of all, initially its servers were located 20 minutes away from FBI's washington state headquarters.
Old testament allows men to marry girls (read the hebrew, especially in deuteronomy). Women don't and women run(ruin) democracy.
Bow before our activist overlord judges before it's all too late and chaos ensues!
The FBI is ordered to produce a code but Apple does not have to unlock a government-owned iPhone of a known terrorist? What a world.
This would run smack into discoverability and the FBI would never be able to guarantee that the result of their research is valid. Furthermore a judge could simply require the source code to be shown under NDA, as is done with breathanalyzer, and if the company refuse, toss the evidence, potentially tossing the case.
C. Sagan : A demon haunted world:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345409469/
visit randi.org
It looks like this boils down to an argument about whether the ends justify the means. While I appreciate the desire to catch the dirt bags who prey on children, the justice department crossed the line.
That the police can lie is quite well established, not just in the US legal system, but in most of them. When they are out trying to do their jobs they have no requirement to tell the truth to suspects. For that matter, neither do you. You can lie to people in your day to day business and it isn't illegal. The requirement to tell the truth only happens in court, when you are under oath, same as the police.
However the police aren't allowed to commit crimes, felonies in particular, in the course of their work. They can't break the law to uphold the law, otherwise the law loses its meaning. But that is precisely what happened here: They distributed illegal material, they broke the law.
Now you might think that's no different than a drug sting, however the big difference there is they don't actually distribute drugs. When the bug goes down, the person doing the buying gets arrested. The drugs, even if they were real (usually not) never go out of police custody. Same deal with hitman stings. They take a person's money in a presumed murder for hire, but they don't then actually go and kill the intended victim, rather they arrest the person who tried to hire them.
Hence why people are worked up here.
[Citation needed]
Unfortunately, that seems very, very likely. The very amorality of running the site for a time, when the DOJ's says that a main reason to make this type of content illegal is that it victimizes those depicted again is staggering. Only this time they were raped again by the FBI with official sanction. If that is not much, much worse, then I do not know what it. Hence I conclude that this is not about those targeted at all, and it certainly is not about protecting any victims.
Nevermind that it isn't illegal 100% worldwide...
...is good for the gander.
I'm just surprised the defendant got a favorable judgment on this matter.