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Bug In Lowe's Site Sold Goods For Free. Couple Arrested For Exploiting It (bleepingcomputer.com)
An anonymous reader writes: A couple from the Brick Township in New Jersey stands accused of using a flaw in the Lowes online portal to receive goods for free at their home. According to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, the couple tried to steal goods worth $258,068.01, but only managed to receive approximately $12,971.23 worth of merchandise. Officers executing a search warrant said the residence resembled "more of a warehouse than a home." Investigators said they recovered enough merchandise to fill an 18-foot trailer. Most items were in their original packaging and still had their price tags. Police say one of the suspects posted ads for some of the stolen goods on a Facebook group used to buy and sell used objects. The suspect was selling most of the items at half the price offered on the Lowes website. Authorities did not provide in-depth technical details but revealed the flaw resided in the site's gift card module.
One of the suspects' lawyer argued that his client didn't have the skills to penetrate the security on the web site of a Fortune 500 company -- and insisted instead that his client just had a really special knack for finding good deals.
One of the suspects' lawyer argued that his client didn't have the skills to penetrate the security on the web site of a Fortune 500 company -- and insisted instead that his client just had a really special knack for finding good deals.
More like if Lowes self checkout station set the price on some goods at $0 if they were scanned upside-down, and people just checked out and left. And then got arrested.
This is more like those people hearing about that trick (or maybe finding out themselves), then making sure they scanned every item upside down. It's similar to incorrectly priced items, and over here (NL) the law is sort of clear on that. If an item is priced too low by accident (or rung up incorrectly at the register), the customer gets to keep the purchase at the lower price... unless there is a "clearly apparent mistake". A €1000 TV priced at €800 would not be a clear mistake; a €200 discount would be a really good one, but plausible. That same TV priced at €100 is clearly a mistake though. Same as someone who manages to order over $18.000 worth of goods on a $20 gift gard because of a flaw in the system. Even if it is clear that the system was at fault and that no exploit was used, that person would not get to keep the goods over here. How does that work in the States?
If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
When a consumer exploits a bug in the system, they get arrested. When a corporation or rich person exploits a bug in the system, it's called, "smart tax planning".
You are welcome on my lawn.
Lowes packed up their order and had it delivered to their house! There should be like 3 computer functions that mitigate that risk and oh, a dozen PHYSICAL ACTS that should have stopped it.
How would a warehouse worker or truck driver know that the customer wasn't correctly charged by the website for their purchase?
Even if it is clear that the system was at fault and that no exploit was used, that person would not get to keep the goods over here.
But would they be charged with a crime?
If they exploited the flaw over and over and over again, then I would think yes. Just like the couple allegedly did in TFS.
If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
Even if it is clear that the system was at fault and that no exploit was used, that person would not get to keep the goods over here.
But would they be charged with a crime?
If they exploited the flaw over and over and over again, then I would think yes. Just like the couple allegedly did in TFS.
Exactly. I f they stumbled onto a "great deal" once and bought it I would say they shouldn't be charged with a crime. However, find over 250k$ of "good deals" (as their lawyer claims) crosses the line into criminal, IMHO.
I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
There are a number of occasions in England where a jury's refusal to convict whistleblowers for releasing embarrassing state 'secrets' have done a lot to reign in the government. Yes, you pay a price in terms of some real crimes being unprosecutable as well - receiving stolen goods for example - but overall I think the price is worth paying.
So does your definition of 'civilised' equal 'authoritarian'?