Spectrofon #23 20 июля 1997

From the world of bat - an article about the "bad" hakepah.

"S": We're waiting for the next time will not,
and continued the theme of the following articles
which is just talks about the "bad"
Hackers mentioned in a previous publication.

(C) Computerra, 1997
(C) Vitali Leontiev, 1997

 "Piranha" with fake Credit Card in the teeth



   Recently, my father took the unusual
gift. Returned from wandering around
Latin American jungle friend gave him a pendant with dangling 
on it desiccated fish. Fish, in general, a sweet, a kind of 
pot-bellied Karasik golden brown. It turned out that this is 
the famous piranha. That same mileyshaya "waterfowl", which has 
a nasty habit of gathering in flocks ogromadnye, eat at its the 
way all that is possible. At Amazon 

these "crucian" fear than sharks.
But from what started this attack, not
remember? Only with a pair of fishes,
released into the river by some amateur ...


   Internet essentially - the same Amazon
big deep river with countless
many tributaries. And who can compare our homegrown hackers, 
breeding with a third space velocity in its turbid waters, but 
with piranhas? Little critters that appeared literally out of 
nothing, omnivorous and indiscriminate, capable, rushing en 
masse, no stone unturned leave from the worst company that 
decided to do business on the Internet. 


   They appeared nearly two years ago. A year later, on Russian 
hackers have started talking around the world, six months ago, 
they turned into a real epidemic. And only now begin to fight 
with them - timid not so lucky, but start. To them,

Russian hackers, frankly, absolutely

do not deserve, and we dedicate
my story ...


   Russian "piranhas" seem like
the traditional hacker elite: a comparison with Kevin Mitnick 
is clearly inappropriate. They do not crack under the force of 
a modest protection, they do not live the spirit of adventure 
and desire to fight the almighty protection. Piranhas belong to 
the subspecies homo hapiens "- a man seize, a kind of 
vybegallovskie kadavry of the unforgettable" Monday ... 
"Strugatsky brothers. Mitnick You can admire, you can write 
about it. About "Piranha" no one would write - it's painful

Chalk this breed, although it is dangerous. Fish-piranhas 
piranhas make sharp teeth. 


   Hacker piranha becomes such because of the tiny programmke - 
kreditogeneratoru. It is known that the credit card becomes a 
major Internet means of payment - other mechanisms is extremely 
inconvenient. Credit cards are paid for 

consultations received, the ordered goods,
download program, finally, it has the same pay and service 
provider. To do this you simply want to inform your credit card 
provider, and the required amount he would withdraw himself. 
These same numbers generated by the bank in a specific pattern,

analogue which is just and is the basis
pirated kreditogenerilok. Applets
These can now download virtually
any VBS, their entire collections available on the
pirated CDs. Therefore, whether
surprising that in a short period of bummed innumerable hordes 
of "zipper teeth freeloaders. A profiteer, they were quick to 
immediately start up the cherished programs from a business ...


       As "piranhas" AOL broke ...


   Natural field of piranhas
- Internet, which until recently
remain available not all: domestic providers take at least three
dollars per hour and more supplements were asked, but the
Western and say nothing. Grazing in
Russian representatives zabugornye networks such as America 
online per (AOL), CompuServe and Microsoft Network (MSN), 
apparently forgetting their own price (the Yankees are paying 
for an unlimited time access up to 20 dollars per month), 
demanded for his services ... $ 20-30 per hour! Probably there 
is some higher justice in the fact what these companies were 
destined to play a role "Boxing pear", where his muscles began 
malaxate steep Russian hackers ...



   Roasted rooster pecked its first victims
at the beginning of last autumn. Quite unexpectedly for 
providers wishing to flow under the keys to the internet in 
Russia is literally swept over AOL, CompuServe and MSN, which,

it would seem, should only be welcomed.
But AOL, recollecting himself first, suddenly discovered, to 
his endless horror that her mast fields grazed by literally 
thousands Russian riders, who, taking a line almost around the 
clock, paying bogus credit cards whose numbers have been kindly 
generated notorious cunning applets.



   At the beginning of this overlooked
- Say, God bless them, the hackers are not so
a lot of them - but soon the number of brazen Russian passed 
all reasonable limits. The result is known: scared aolovtsy 
rushed from Russia to speed close to the FTL, once cut from

network of an entire country, including those who
used the service AOL is completely legal. The latter, 
incidentally, is clearly going to apply for a negligent 
providers court - but that's another story ...



   Along with the hordes of hackers invaded AOL and CompuServe 
with MSN - and is it any wonder that the past is also not slow 
to cease all contact with wild Russian. Until recently, held 
CompuServe, but she "gave ends in mid-March. Freestuff access 
to these networks, since the spring of last year, became full 
swing trading enterprising fidoshniki: for only 5-10 dollars 
experienced hackers were willing to share their expertise with 
eager Dummies, most of which I was sure that buy Internet 
access to lawfully ... 



     As "piranhas" porn extracted

 Get into the network by using credit cards as
proved difficult. Here would be our piranhas and calm down. But 
from their point of view, the experience was a sin to leave 
without application. Especially since that field of activity 
opens a simple widest. 


   Do you think that started to make
our insatiable "piranhas", once finally in
coveted Internet? Of course, most of them sent their virtual
foot in the direction of sites relating to
category XXX. On the one hand, to understand it
easily: thanks to zealous campaign against illiteracy minded 
journalists of mass media, Internet and pornography have become 
virtually synonymous. On the other hand - on shastane

Internet in search of pictures with naked
aunts looks remarkably absurd pastime: much easier to drive at 
the same Mitino and buy it drives a series of "funny stuff". 
But the soul of Russian people truly incomprehensible! 


   In short, our hackers were actively
breaking porn sites. Past tend to ask for "membership" (we 
assume - receive unlimited pictures) something

about 12-15 dollars per year, with access
the private area is provided immediately after the introduction 
of your credit car point. Quite naturally, porn

hundreds of megabytes flowed from overseas to
Russian adventurers. And it is quite natural that the owners of 
pornographic websites and raised the wave of popular 
indignation, overgrown subsequently to the dimensions of this 
tsunami. 


   By the way, and protect themselves from sexually anxious 
Russian started it they are. In many opinion! Appeared 
formidable warning, threatening Russian villains

all penalties heavenly - almost to the expulsion of home 
address of the attacker Liquidation-castration brigades of 
special designation. Such a terrible warning, written off with 
one of the Danish erotic sites, more than a month caused 
hysterical laughter in one of the conferences Fido ...



     As "piranhas" Internet shook


   In fact, all the above alone
itself could be a sufficient reason
to break out of this material. Just think, discovered America - 
climbed for free to AOL! - There it is also engaged with great 
pleasure. Quite recent twenty-American Niklas

Ryan was convicted of manufacturing programs from the speaker 
called AOL4FREE, which were not slow to take hundreds of 
Americans. So the small matter that rastryasli handful of 
activists from pornography - the importance of what! Go to them 
and the road, damned ... 


   But it's not one porno live internet.
Thousands of sites in the world wide web "trades online 
commerce. Sell ​​everything anything: books, shirts, shmaykami,

compacts and products, spare parts for cars and even by car. 
Americans, of course, on such sites and is not 

climbed: it's not a prank, but a serious
an offense punishable by years in prison and
the amount of the fine co many zeros. Realizing the seriousness 
of the transactions with electronic money in America, 
"soldered" to the full program to anyone who encroached on the 
miracle of the XX century. In the search for such manipulators 
immediately catches all the power of the FBI. Therefore, even 
the authors of one of the programs generated numbers will warn 
the user that their offspring is only intended to

"Non commercial use". The joke, of course, but
every joke has a large share of themselves
you know what.


   But what is a crime for John Smith is not a crime for Musi 
Tapochkina, pioneer-age, vlezshego Internet. You can be sure: 
we took an active order of mail, and compact, and t-shirts, and 
books. Using, of course, by the same generators credit numbers. 
Have been reported even cases where, having read 

articles about hackers, boiling Russian "teapot" quite 
seriously tried to get into foreign bank accounts, shaking

counterfeit banknotes. Laughter, and only ...


   But all that happens is not amused
owners of commercial Web sites, self
Of course, take appropriate
measures. Thank piranha - now in many
outlets on the Internet visitors
welcomes the announcement of half of the screen that
that the orders of Russian Internet users are not
accepted. Unprecedented measures, but certainly relevant 
situation. 


   However, the secure network of commerce
Russian invasion "piranhas" and could not
it. And then, tired of the dirty tricks of small, but
voracious fishes, network commonwealth
decided to apply to the relevant authorities ...


  FBI against the "Piranha", the war is declared


   Late last year, many Russian computer magazines, conferences 
and Fido Internet and even on TV there was information that the 
FBI in conjunction with Interpol and with the help of Russian 
authorities to begin large-scale operation against "piranhas". 
Representatives of the FBI in publicly declared that now they

on hand a complete list of persons who "hack" AOL, MSN and 
CompuServe, as well as abused the trust of online trading 
services. True, this list does not strike dimensions: thus, 
according to the FBI, in Moscow, home to 360 illegal users of 
AOL. Of course, the actual number of several times more ...



   So what shines attacker in the case of exposure? After all, 
even the Russian Criminal Code in his own new version does not 
specify directly responsible for the use

fake credit card numbers. More

addition, Russian law has not yet
clearly defined the very notion
credit card. And the question is: how will
judge? For crimes in the sphere of computer information or 
falsification of financial documents?



   One more detail: while in Russia,
"Piranhas" commit their crimes ...
in another country. Of course, their
may well delay the crossing
border (allegedly febeerovtsev all
Russian "piranhas" has long been included in
the so-called stoplist on which the hapless hacker may well 
arrest right at the airport), but how many "piranhas"

waiting for such an unenviable fate?


   Nevertheless, the real danger for them
exist, although most of the "piranhas" has no idea about it. As 
seen on same fidoshnym conferences, many of

They do not even know that any who came to
a particular site can be easily "compute"

regardless of where he came from
and what name has been registered. The easiest is the case, of 
course, with those who has a permanent IP address. These 
figures are calculated per minute. Several difficult to 
dynamically allocated address - namely, its usually provide 
their Russian provider customers. However, any provider by 
searching the "logs" can say with certainty which of his 
clients at any given time has been allocated a specific 
IP-address. So it should not particularly rely on a false 
address e-mail, introduced by hackers with the same fake credit 
card number. 


   True, in recent years (from which the
suddenly?) simultaneously in several major
countries, particularly in Germany and
America, have enacted laws under which the provider has no 
right to give someone else information about his client without 
the latter's consent. That is, the most desired "log" will be 
inaccessible GOVERNMENTAL for law enforcement. In

Russia such a law, probably in the near future is foreseen.


   Yet the danger of "Piranha" is threatened not
only the law. Much greater
potential threat to their address can come from ... present 
owners credits. After all, whatever one may say, the probability

that the credit card number generated by the program will 
coincide with the real, exists. Thus, the very real situation 
that the bill for the same downloaded Moussya Kamushkin 
produces porn Bill Gates. And if you steep the Russian 
gangster? Especially at risk are those who use Ordering a valid 
address. 


   As it became known, some Moscow banks have already received 
complaints from its wealthy clients who are victims of

activities "piranhas". And many of them
quite prepared to make available
offended by a kind of "combat units" for

showdown. So gentlemen, "Piranha" to remember: did not happen 
would be that the court and even imprisonment would be for

are almost the most desirable turn of affairs.


   Instead of conclusion ... Future "piranhas"
yet unclear. Despite all the warnings, from the beginning of a 
new year or the FBI, nor more Russian authorities have taken no 
action against them, silent press, silent debate in Fido. But 
the peace and quiet smooth, as we know, it happens before the 
storm. 


   One may lull themselves
sweet words about the inadequacy of legislation, that the FBI 
far, and owners of pornographic websites is not sorry about the 
steepness of its own ... However, all these small and 
disgusting. And even these hackers only frowning with disgust 
when it comes to "Piranha."



   Some fish change what I personally am sorry. "Trampling" 
they year old, then come to its senses, will grow to become 
respectable people ... So many years later it pops up, and at 
the most inopportune moment say, during a business trip in the 
same America. Is it worth the risk? I hope this argument will 
be understood by anyone, even the most irresponsible 
"pomolschiku. 


   Damage from the "piranhas" and expressed great
it is not so much in the specific loss suffered by those or 
other virtual stores or overseas providers. Where worse is that 
Russia is losing the minimal credibility that she had at first 
timid steps toward civilization. Yet the inscription: "orders 
from Russian do not accept "- a rare exception,

but soon it may well become the rule.


   Generation program credit numbers
be found in the utilities on my computer. Of course, strong 
temptation to start it set the correct type of card - and more

Internet with the magic number on hand.
But I tell you honestly and frankly: I do not
use the program and never do so in the future is not going to. 
Not because of fear of liability, no

It's just different. It's not even in the conscience, and
elementary disgust. Painfully all
it's like a baby "zapodlyanki. And
First of all - himself.


               ■ ■ ■

"S": At this time we do not make conclusions in an editorial 
comment. Offer to make them yourself. 


        In a e r a b e a p a r a!