New Washington Post story today clarifies that it was NOT a hack of Bb – someone found and used a valid teacher login.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/15/AR2010041505517.html
Local Digest
Friday, April 16, 2010; B02
VIRGINIA
Boy had teacher's computer password
A 9-year-old Fairfax County boy who changed course content and passwords in the Fairfax school system's online teaching system -- including the superintendent's -- accessed it using a teacher's password, officials said Thursday.
The school district detected the problems last month and, with the help of Fairfax police, tracked them to a McLean boy's home computer.
Police obtained a search warrant that said Fairfax's version of the widely used Blackboard Learning System "had been hacked" and that the boy's Blackboard account had "administrator privileges."
Blackboard and school officials clarified Thursday that the boy had not found and exploited a security vulnerability, but rather that he had obtained a teacher's password.
Fairfax schools spokesman Paul Regnier said the boy was able to use that access to enroll other users, including Superintendent Jack D. Dale, into his class and could then change their passwords.
-- Tom Jackman
I don't believe this a good test of "security" since the majority of the hotels on the Strip have multiple unsecure Wifi networks for their guests. You have to go to a launch page first before you're even allowed access, sometimes entering a code.
I have a friend who has the exact same problem but he didn't post it on the forum. We took his MacBook Pro to an Apple store and they said they hadn't heard of this and recommended leaving the laptop there for testing.
Blah blah blah.
Slashdot Mirror
New Washington Post story today clarifies that it was NOT a hack of Bb – someone found and used a valid teacher login. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/15/AR2010041505517.html Local Digest Friday, April 16, 2010; B02 VIRGINIA Boy had teacher's computer password A 9-year-old Fairfax County boy who changed course content and passwords in the Fairfax school system's online teaching system -- including the superintendent's -- accessed it using a teacher's password, officials said Thursday. The school district detected the problems last month and, with the help of Fairfax police, tracked them to a McLean boy's home computer. Police obtained a search warrant that said Fairfax's version of the widely used Blackboard Learning System "had been hacked" and that the boy's Blackboard account had "administrator privileges." Blackboard and school officials clarified Thursday that the boy had not found and exploited a security vulnerability, but rather that he had obtained a teacher's password. Fairfax schools spokesman Paul Regnier said the boy was able to use that access to enroll other users, including Superintendent Jack D. Dale, into his class and could then change their passwords. -- Tom Jackman
I don't believe this a good test of "security" since the majority of the hotels on the Strip have multiple unsecure Wifi networks for their guests. You have to go to a launch page first before you're even allowed access, sometimes entering a code.
D'oh I guess he should have opted for the testing...
I have a friend who has the exact same problem but he didn't post it on the forum. We took his MacBook Pro to an Apple store and they said they hadn't heard of this and recommended leaving the laptop there for testing. Blah blah blah.