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Teenager Accidentally Launches DDoS Attack On 911 Systems (softpedia.com)
A Phoenix teenager mistakenly tweeted a link to JavaScript exploit which forced iOS devices to automatically dial and re-dial 911. An anonymous reader quotes Softpedia:
The teenager created several weaponized versions of this bug which would constantly dial a phone number, or show annoying popups. The teenager says he wanted to prank his friends, thinking it would be "funny," but when he shared the weaponized link online, he shared a version that instead of showing annoying popups, redialed a phone number, which in this case was 911.
In September researchers calculated just 6,000 smartphones can take down an entire state's 911 system, while more than 1,849 people clicked on this link, according to the article. Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office searched the teenager's home -- "several items were seized" -- and they've charged him with three felony counts for computer tampering.
In September researchers calculated just 6,000 smartphones can take down an entire state's 911 system, while more than 1,849 people clicked on this link, according to the article. Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office searched the teenager's home -- "several items were seized" -- and they've charged him with three felony counts for computer tampering.
Accidentally? Seems really unlikely. I'd like to see the code to see how that was possible.
After all, if it weren't for that bug bounty enticing him....
Seriously, this guy needs a firm slap on the wrist and a year or two of probation, not prison time.
When it comes to carelessness, this ranks up there with the Robert T. Morris Sendmail worm of 1988. Heck, I'd hold Morris to a higher standard than this guy since he (Morris) was a graduate student at the time and presumably knew what he was doing more than Desai.
By the way, Morris was elected Fellow of the ACM in 2014.
References:
https://scholar.google.com/sch...
http://awards.acm.org/award_wi...
And the not-always-reliable reference, Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/ind...
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
911 is consider critical infraestructure for defense and security. attacking this number is a cibercrime according to US law. He must be put in JAIL
Is that such an incredibly stupid bug is even possible.
Thanks Apple.
How do you almost crash the system or almost take it offline. Sounds like bullshit.
What this teenager did was bring attention to a bug that never should have existed to start with. If they want to blame anyone, they should be blaming Apple for allowing it even be possible. But hey, they didn't hire cops for their intelligence. -_-
Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
A huge safety-critical network that can be crashed ***by accident***! What a magnificent design achievement! Just imagine what could be done by someone competent who was actually trying to crash it...
I am sure that there are many other solipsists out there.
Friends don't let friends enable JavaScript.
(Man, if only is was that easy. Seems a LOT of sites use and/or require JS when they really don't need to -- and I'm looking at you too /.)
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
to get a phone to dial a number. There's lots of APIs for it once you've got access and there's tonnes of 'sploit kits to get you that access. This is the very definition of a 'script kiddie'. Give 'em a slap on the wrist and so long as he doesn't do it again move on. Short of torturing him to death you're not gonna get enough notice out of this to make an 'example' out of it but you might ruin some dumb kid's life. Then again this is Joe Arpaio...
On a completely unrelated note our 911 system is so fragile that a script kiddie can bring it down. Thanks constant tax & spending cuts and rampant program defunding!
Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
He's probably a Linux hacker. This domestic terrorism must be dealt with in the harshest way possible.
Make him use a Linux desktop?
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
When something happens in a crowded area, and hundreds of people whip out their smartphones to dial 911, the system gets regularly DDoSed anyway.
I wonder if anybody is thinking about some protection on the cell level. Like, when there are already ten 911 call originating from one cell, additional ones need some confirmation form the caller that they really want to make an additional one.
Pssssst---You're replying to a troll-bot that's been gracing these pages for a decade or more.
Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
So pranks should now be punished by having, quote, your ass fried? Overkill mcuh?
-=This sig has nothing to do with my comment. Move along now=-
I always felt that one question that should be asked is it is worth jailing this person for three felonies worth? With prison costs of $60K a year I don't think it's worth this much taxpayer money unless someone actually got hurt. Make him agree not to do it again, give him probation and community service, and threaten to not be so nice next time should someone else duplicate this.
Users are now required to dial 0118 999 881 99 9119 7253
before 9/11 you where able to get away with that. Now days he will lucky get in to the juvenile system.
Spoken like a true cave-man.
Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
Yeah let's go right back to ruining some kids life again.
The amazing thing about making examples out of carelessness is that it doesn't work. If he actually didn't intend to bring down 911 then making an example of him would be zero deterrence to other people who also don't actually intend to bring it down.
What you would do is fuck up someone's life, but that's the American way right. White picket fence for the law abiding Christians going around in the rat race, and completely fucking the lives up of everyone else, imprisonment, joblessness, homelessness, dependency on handouts, etc. Yeah that's much better.
He's probably a Linux hacker. This domestic terrorism must be dealt with in the harshest way possible.
Make him use a Linux desktop?
No, make him use Windows 8.0.
#DeleteChrome
Having him understand now that there are consequences to actions will save his life. A slap on the wrist combined with lots of "wow, how clever" attention means he'll do it again
Interfering with the 911 system can kill people. It's a really, really bad thing to do. He doesn't have to fry but he does need a lot more than a stern talking to.
He's probably a Linux hacker. This domestic terrorism must be dealt with in the harshest way possible.
Make him use a Linux desktop?
Wow, that's harsh... can't we just put him in jail?
Fuck Sheriff Joe Arpaio. That's all I have to say, and it's not related to this article
There are a lot of legitimate reasons why people may dislike Sheriff Arpaio, but as far as I can tell, he acted appropriately in this instance.
If I can be modded down for being a troll, can I be modded up for being an orc, or a balrog?
(1) He's 18 years old - that's an adult with the right to vote, the ability to make contracts, etc., despite the fact that he can be described as a "teenager."
(2) The fact that it was "easy" doesn't excuse the behavior, in my opinion. It's "easy" to drive an automobile recklessly and hurt someone. It's "easy" to take a gun and start plinking in a residential neighborhood. Its "easy" to fool around and knock someone off of a cliff while out hiking. It's "easy" to play with matches and start a fire in a building. The world isn't structured so that actions that can do significant damage are "hard" to initiate; we depend upon people being aware of the consequences of their actions and acting accordingly. We don't excuse people for actions just because they were "easy" to undertake. His behavior was at best extremely careless, and at worst was deliberate and only regretted when it went really sideways.
This individual engaged in actions that predictably had serious consequences. The court will determine whether he was thoroughly aware of the consequences, and act accordingly. Most of us manage to avoid requiring that level of government oversight. Some of us, especially in our early adulthood, need the administration of corrective discipline.
When do you get around to showing the people running the system that there are consequences to their actions?
Inheritance is the sincerest form of nepotism.
(1) He's 18 years old - that's an adult with the right to vote, the ability to make contracts, etc.
But not old enough to drink, so clearly under law he has diminished responsibility.
I thought the 911 referred to the amount of systems he launched attacks on.
Taking down 911 is no laughing "slap on the wrist" matter. People need 911 for actual emergencies. Shutting down that system is akin to sentencing people to die in certain circumstances.
Stoned or stupid?
I'm not signing anything
So he's responsible enough to go to jail for negligence doing a job (or go to war) , but he's not responsible enough to buy a beer.
I don't know, after Operation Sundevil I think it was made clear that you don't fuck with the 911.
Surely if anyone is at fault here it is apple for deploying buggy code and the department responsible for a 911 system that crashes under 6000 calls...
Good to see a realistic and moderate response for once - this was not a crime severe enough to warant making him use windows 10.
Slashdot: where don knuth is an idiot because he cant grasp the awesome power of php
Being charged with something and being convicted are two completely separate things.
Law enforcement almost always charges kids with the maximum knowing full well that when it gets to court it will be plea bargained to a misdemeanor.
In all likelihood this kid's parents will be required to pay damages ~$3000ish and the kid will get 120 hours of community service and a year or two probation.
he's not responsible enough to buy a beer.
Based on the 18 year olds I've known, no, he's not.
Should still be allowed to, of course. Shit, how else are you going to learn?
The legal drinking age isn't 18 in most North American jurisdictions because when it is (and it has been tried, based on legislators buying the "go to war" argument) then High School seniors can buy booze and attend school drunk, with little recourse for the school to address the disruptive behaviour.
... I was actually grandfathered in, when they changed it back (to 19) after one year, but wasn't effective until after my birthday. Pure Fucking Chaos in the High Schools, at after-hours sports events, you name it.
We had it here
Which kind of shows that, *supervised* you can send a kid to war but on their own, they act like big-bodied children.
<quote><p>(1) He's 18 years old - that's an adult with the right to vote, the ability to make contracts, etc.</p></quote>
<p>But not old enough to drink, so clearly under law he has diminished responsibility.</p></quote>
Maybe. But that is a factor in sentencing, not a factor in finding guilt.
I count these as barely human cave-men. But yes, these failed human beings tend to cluster around "leaders" that share their lack of positive human qualities.
Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
Having him understand now that there are consequences to actions will save his life.
Yeah we should cut his eyes out. He'll remember that and this will save his life in the future.
I always thought it was the American government to blame for your truly bizarre ways you punish people, but no I realise now you have exactly the government you deserve. Put everyone in prison for a little while, make sure they are bankrupt before they even get to university then bankrupt them again for good measure, and thanks to their record they'll never get a job. Now just sprinkle on a bit of hate against the welfare system and you have a delicious recipe for the fucked society you get mocked about.
Children are never responsible for anything anymore.
It always amuses me how slashdotters have to go from one extreme to another. There are punishments between "scott free" and "hanging by his balls".
It goes to Mens Rea which is definitely a factor in finding guilt. The whole premise of restricting alcohol until 21 is that younger people won't adequately predict harmful outcomes and avoid them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
"A heroic service dog saved the day by dialing 911 and pulling her blind owner to safety after the home they shared in the Holmesburg section of Philadelphia caught fire on Thursday morning. Yolanda, a golden retriever, called 911 on a specialized phone...."
normally, service dogs are trained to hit any button because they are all programmed to dial 911
If you must moderate, please moderate as irrelevent, not something bad, because I'm sure someone will find this interest
Man, that kid is going to have a hell of a time. No nonsense sheriff. Sheriff will put him into his famous jail, in pink underwear, outside in a jail tent city where it's frickin' hot! I bet that kid won't do that again. He better hope he works out a deal to not go there.
High School seniors can buy booze and attend school drunk, with little recourse for the school to address the disruptive behaviour.
They have the same recourse as for sober disruptive behaviour. Or are you saying that US High Schools literally have no disciplinary options at all?
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
It goes to Mens Rea which is definitely a factor in finding guilt. The whole premise of restricting alcohol until 21 is that younger people won't adequately predict harmful outcomes and avoid them.
Getting drunk and doing something stupid can happen whether you're 18 or 50. There is no magical change between 18 and 21.
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
Certainly there is never a magical change and once you're drunk, you're drunk. The predictive (and self control) part is things like I'll stop now before I get out of control. Or now is not a good time to get drunk, I have to drive somewhere in an hour, I shouldn't chance a DUI. Or one beer and one beer only will be OK. Or even when I hang out with X I always drink more than I mean to, I'd best wait till after the big exam.
It could even include things like This call 911 exploit is an accident waiting to happen, perhaps I should make it 411.
Probation? He needs a "thank you" from both Apple and whatever IT department manages 911. If they can't handle a 6000-phone oops by some kid, WTF do I pay my taxes for? When ISIS and foreign governments launch such attacks, they will be much larger scale and at much less opportune times that really do cause lots of death and mayhem. He basically just walked into their wide open front door and said, "hey, you left the door open". If he happened to track a bit of mud on the carpet on his way out, that seems like a small price to pay.
Right, because his alleged prank/accident requires the death penalty.
You're telling me that the majority of humans out there, including you, haven't made a huge fuck up before? Lets just fry everybody who accidentally fucks something up without the foresight to know the outcome.
2/3rds of our population would be removed.
Maybe you'd fit in better in Saudi Arabia or other like-minded backwards-ass caveman societies.
Joe is so serious, that he breaks federal anti-discrimination laws to suit his personal style of justice. That justice being putting minorities in their place because they could potentially be illegals, murderers, drug dealers, and rapists.