Texas Traffic Signs Hacked With Anti-Trump and Anti-Hillary Messages (hackread.com)

An anonymous reader writes: Someone is hacking the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) electronic message boards and displaying anti-Trump and anti-Hillary messages. For example, one message read "DONALD TRUMP IS A ... SHAPE SHIFTING LIZARD!" while the other read "HILLARY FOR PRISON." The hacker appears to be a supporter of Bernie Sanders, displaying "BERNIE FOR PRESIDENT" on the message boards. One of the messages read "FREE BARRETT BROWN," an imprisoned U.S. journalist and alleged unofficial spokesperson for Anonymous. Not all the messages have been political, however. In reference to an incident in which Zookeepers shot and killed a rare gorilla after a 3-year-old boy fell into its enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo, a message read "GORILLA DESERVED IT." The reports mention the defacing occurred a couple of weeks ago.

Comments

"Hacked" is a strong word

[svanheulen]

I've modified the message on one of those signed before. The box was unlocked and there was a manual inside with the default password for the device (which worked).

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[Shakrai]

Hack: To gain access to (a computer file or network) illegally or without authorization: hacked the firm's personnel database.

Re: "Hacked" is a strong word

[Kvathe]

Shared or default passwords are probably the #1 way anybody "hacks" into anything. I remember seeing an image on 4chan many years ago that described how to change messages on traffic signs like this. In the unlikely event that they've modified the default password there's even a reset button that will get you in anyway. The backup password was DOTS if I recall ;)

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[mrchaotica]

Some of them are remotely controlled. Older and/or portable signs might be on dial-up or cellular, while newer fixed ones might be wired with dedicated fiber as part of an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) network. Accessing those types of signs might still be pretty easy, but IMO would properly count as "hacking."

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[bondsbw]

"Breaking and entering" is a strong word. The mat was easy to move and there was a key underneath it (which worked).

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[svanheulen]

I wasn't speaking in a legal sense. And in that same sense I would call what you're describing "entering."

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[svanheulen]

No shits given.

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[I'm New Around Here]

Back when I was a teenager, my friends had a street sign in their garage. They would cut pieces out of it to make their own "Ninja throwing stars".

If you had friends like that, you know why I put that in quotes. :^)

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[TeknoHog]

In the olden days of /., 'hack' would have been more about technical skill and an inquisitive attitude, rather than legality or authorization. Even with the later, incorrect usage of hacking to mean cracking, I wouldn't say that "doing stuff without a permission" is synonymous with "hacking".

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[Impy the Impiuos Imp]

Loosely, but there are court cases floating around about this. For example, is a guy who was given a password then accessed the data, but for the wrong reason, and thus illegal, hacking? Punishment does indeed make a difference. Same if the guy had the password legitimately, then was fired, then accessed the database. Was his access "revoked"?

These seeming split hairs make a difference for prosecution and sentencing, as they are different crimes (and some may not even be.) It is like saying someone was breaking and entering, when you never reclaimed the key when firing them. Stealing is something else.

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[svanheulen]

This was my point exactly. I wasn't commenting on the legality of the action, only that I doubt there were any "hacking" skills required to do what they did.

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[Solandri]

That's the definition that's been redefined by people, corporations, and governemnts trying to hide their incompetence behind the veneer of law. Hacking = illegal. Here's the original definition

1. n. Originally, a quick job that produces what is needed, but not well.
2. n. An incredibly good, and perhaps very time-consuming, piece of work that produces exactly what is needed.
3. vt. To bear emotionally or physically. âoeI can't hack this heat!â
4. vt. To work on something (typically a program). In an immediate sense: âoeWhat are you doing?â âoeI'm hacking TECO.â In a general (time-extended) sense: âoeWhat do you do around here?â âoeI hack TECO.â More generally, âoeI hack fooâ is roughly equivalent to âoefoo is my major interest (or project)â. âoeI hack solid-state physics.â See Hacking X for Y.
5. vt. To pull a prank on. See sense 2 and hacker (sense 5).
6. vi. To interact with a computer in a playful and exploratory rather than goal-directed way. âoeWhatcha up to?â âoeOh, just hacking.â

Notice there's nothing about legality or authorization. That was all added afterwards by authority figures who didn't like people poking their noses into things they weren't "supposed to be" messing with.

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[tlhIngan]

I've modified the message on one of those signed before. The box was unlocked and there was a manual inside with the default password for the device (which worked).

To be fair, the main problem was the box was unlocked.

A password is useless on a device like this - if you change it, then every sign needs to have the same password, and every employee who deals with them needs to have the password. Chances are if this is the case, the password is effectively public because someone will leak it out eventually (or someone overhears it accidentally).

After all, the road crews doing the signage probably don't want to figure it out every time, which is why the manual is there so they can quickly set up the sign and have it display the desired message. No road crew wants to go and fiddle and figure out how to use the damn sign, after all.

If they had their way, the boxes would have built in modems and such, and all they'd have to do is dump it by the side of the road and phone it in.to the traffic central so they can take control of it. In this case a unique password is useful (and something the traffic center computers can keep track of

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[Anonymous Coward]

The portable ones are usually just simple "enter passcode, then text" with the keypad located behind a metal cover (rarely locked, because somebody on the road crew will lose the key or will just walk off the job) on the sign itself. The passcode usually remains the default for similar reasons. The passcode is also said to reset if the battery lead is removed (battery also inside a usually-unlocked compartment).

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[Joe_Dragon]

But they still may have a local keyboard but to get to some you have to stand at your risk next to 70+ MPH traffic.

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[Shakrai]

In the olden days of /., 'hack [catb.org]' would have been more about technical skill and an inquisitive attitude, rather than legality or authorization. Even with the later, incorrect usage of hacking to mean cracking, I wouldn't say that "doing stuff without a permission" is synonymous with "hacking".

It may not be synonymous for the /. community but it almost certainly is for John Q. Public. Language evolves over time; even the Google definition for "hack" (which I couldn't directly link, hence thefreedictionary) includes, "use a computer to gain unauthorized access to data in a system."

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[PopeRatzo]

Absolutely.

Now, if they'd hacked these traffic signs by whistling we'd have something to talk about. Or from a cyber-cafe in Bulgaria. This is just stupid vandalism.

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[ArylAkamov]

Yep, it is usually that easy. I've seen them with the password sharpied on the inside of the box.

Reminds me of some old &TotSE shenanigans:

http://imgur.com/uE67Mhz

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[AK Marc]

The current definition of hack matches the old definition of "crack".

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[mlts]

Here in Austin, we are no stranger to road signs with off-beat messages. "Turn around, zombies ahead" was seen on a few signs.

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[mlts]

It is easier to have an easily compromised sign than a sign that can't be used because it is too secure, and the key for it was lost. Cellular connections may be dicey, especially when the sign is in proximity to a lot of rebar or out where there is no real signal.

I personally would just have a locking cabinet with an Abloy PROTEC2 CLIQ cylinder (or something with similar good electronic/mechanical strength), which not just will ward off vandals (it can be defeated, but will require a lot more physical tampering), but also give an electronic audit record of who has the sign. From there, just open the cabinet, set the text of the sign, close cabinet.

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[parkinglot777]

A lot of "hacks" involved social engineering. Realizing that people are too lazy to change default passwords fits that bill.

Please take a look at his original post... If the door is unlocked and there is a manual there with default password, do you mean you need to talk to social engineer with the box in order to get the password? Are we living in Futurama?

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[dave420]

The access was still unauthorised, regardless of how easy it was. That's all that's needed for it to be considered hacking.

Re:"Hacked" is a strong word

[Coren22]

Breaking in this instance is breaking the invisible barrier separating outside from inside. It isn't about damaging a person's property, that is vandalism.

Awesome

[WolfgangVL]

Keep it up. Just because we cant win the game doesn't mean we cant have a little fun with it anyway.

Re:Awesome

[Anonymous Coward]

I was going to vote for the lizard people, but I think they might count that as a vote for Hillary.

So I'm going to vote for Trump's toupee instead.

Re:Awesome

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, foolish human. We xenopilliaromorphs are greatly pleased at your choice in supporting our long term plans to silently replace the unintelligent growths your unsightly heads produce as part of our ultimate goal of enslaving your entire population.

The host body you refer to as "trump" has been most compliant with our deep compulsion techniques. We are pleased that you have determined our true origins, and yet still (wisely) accept our rule, by openly endorsing the candidacy of his "toupee." A number of our ethicists were concerned about the ethics of parasitizing a sentient species. Your willful cooperation pleases us.

As a friendly gesture, we shall tell you how to please us further: We find the more luxurient of earth hair care products most enjoyable, but dislike many earth styling methods. To curry our favor, use shampoos and conditioners rich in decadent natural oils, and free of parabens, silicones, and sulfates--Avoid the use of hair driers, and styling irons. Observe proper combing and grooming techniques to avoid breakage.

Do these things, and we shall reward you in the new order. Together, we shall make "america" great again.

Not that hard...

[Anonymous Coward]

Back in 1999 or 1998, the magazine 2600 had a few articles on how to "hack" those signs. Most of them are programmed either via an attached keyboard or via an IR keyboard. Few, if any of them, have their default passwords changed. Heck, some of the larger highway signs in Illinois were dial-up and had no passwords on them either (not that I know for any particular reason)....

Re:Not that hard...

[Joe_Dragon]

tollway or the free road ones?

You Mean Improved?

[zenlessyank]

Replacing stupid messages with useful ones is not what I call hacking. I would call that fixing or improving. Trump or Hillary is like an alternative reality gone wrong, except this is real.

Not Political?

[Anonymous Coward]

Not all the messages have been political, however. In reference to an incident in which Zookeepers shot and killed a rare gorilla after a 3-year-old boy fell into its enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo, a message read "GORILLA DESERVED IT."

I'm pretty sure that counts as political.

meh

[dejitaru]

Screw current events or politics, personally I prefer those that hack them with something funny and whatnot. Brings better joy to some random driver's life if they have a small chuckle then reading some persons pointless opinion.

Re:meh

[zenlessyank]

ASCII art for the win.

Re:meh

[I'm New Around Here]

Remember the one that warned about zombies ahead?

Re:meh

[TeknoHog]

Agreed, but even that won't always work out. Recently, a Finnish subway driver wrote 'wish I had a beer' on the in-car display, and a media shitstorm ensued. The subway operator had the driver scolded, though not fired, and issued a statement on their stance against promoting alcoholic drinks.

Re:meh

[dejitaru]

yeah, that's funny until the zombie apocalypse happens and people think it's a joke and drive to their demise... well, maybe that is still funny....

Re:meh

[UnknownSoldier]

You mean these ?

Yup, that was hilarious! People need to lighten up over "prank signs."

Re:meh

[eth1]

Agreed, but even that won't always work out. Recently, a Finnish subway driver wrote
'wish I had a beer'
on the in-car display, and a media shitstorm ensued. The subway operator had the driver scolded, though not fired, and issued a statement on their stance against promoting alcoholic drinks.

That's entirely due to the legions of idiots that love to go out and find things to get outraged about, and the media that loves to sell those things to those people. If it wasn't for that class of people trolling social media (and mainstream media scraping social media instead of actually reporting), that sort of thing would just be chuckle-providing fun.

Anti Hilary, Anti Trump . . . . ?

[PolygamousRanchKid]

Cmon' over folks . . . the beer is on me!

Re:Anti Hilary, Anti Trump . . . . ?

[PopeRatzo]

Man, this is Texas we're talking about here. Don't nobody give no nevermind to no nanny state traffic signs down here. Hell, when we see a traffic sign here in the Lone Star State, we just shoot the bejeebus out of it. I mean really fill that bitch with lead. Just to show who's boss, you know? Sometimes, you have to water the tree of liberty with the blood of some got-damn traffic signs.

Live free or die.

Re:Anti Hilary, Anti Trump . . . . ?

[camperdave]

Hacking a sign in Texas means shooting the little flipper dots to spell something else.

#GorillaLivesMatter ...

[tlambert]

#GorillaLivesMatter ... what, too soon?

Re:#GorillaLivesMatter ...

[zenlessyank]

#HumanLivesMatterMoreAsshole

Re:#GorillaLivesMatter ...

[aardvarkjoe]

#ItsEasierToMakeMoreHumans

Re:#GorillaLivesMatter ...

[camperdave]

(I want to get in the water that's thirty feet below me!)

Clearly, it is a Global Warming issue.

Re: #GorillaLivesMatter ...

[Falos]

#hashbrownsaredelicious

Re: #GorillaLivesMatter ...

[Areyoukiddingme]

You mean #brownsaredelicious...

Simple....

[beheaderaswp]

"Ban People"

Will fix everything.

This is just an attempt to get attention

[subanark]

This is an attempt to get as many people as possible to be angry, and by extension, more attention. The gorilla message is particularly telling as people generally fall into the "The gorilla's death was tragic, but no chances should be made with human lives" and "The situation could have been resolved without killing the gorilla".

Re:This is just an attempt to get attention

[fahrbot-bot]

The gorilla message is particularly telling as people generally fall into the "The gorilla's death was tragic, but no chances should be made with human lives" and "The situation could have been resolved without killing the gorilla".

... and the gorilla was an easier shot.

Re:This is just an attempt to get attention

[Anonymous Coward]

>This is an attempt to get as many people as possible to be angry
Uh, yeah. Was trolling become so fragmented by the next generation, by the year of the SJW, that no one remembers whence it came?

The vandal probably doesn't even HAVE an opinion on the gorilla incident, it was just the quickest, most inflammatory set of letters that fit onto a sign. It's mean to set off the opinionated and vocal, bonus points if at each other.

Next up...

[fahrbot-bot]

One of the messages read "FREE BARRETT BROWN" ...

Just down the road: Free Hat

Re:Next up...

[PPH]

FREE THE MALLOCS

Come on, this is Slashdot.

Worry about this message

[neglogic]

KLAATU BARATA NIKTO.

That is so.... HI TECH!!!!

[codeButcher]

That is so.... HI TECH!!!!

So far, the best that South Africa could come up with is to graffiti the name of your favorite politician on the lower half of the STOP sign.

Not hard

[ebvwfbw]

I saw one sign that said - ZOMBIES AHEAD, next week - WELCOME TO OZ

Thing is, the signs have to be so simple that why even a Construction worker can figure it out.