Prose - St. Petersburg hacker and his Citibank.

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       St. Petersburg hacker and his Citibank

Found by KAKTUS
Edited by KAKTUS

   One day it disappeared from CitiBank accounts.
about 10 million dollars.  Some time later
in London, V. Levin was arrested, who was charged
charged with electronic hacking.  Now he
faces up to 65 years in prison in a comfortable English
skaya prison. Newspapers, magazines and television companies of various
countries are speculating in every possible way about how he
succeeded and who is behind him.

   Once upon a time Ptyuch (popular in certain circles
Moscow party magazine.  Next -  )
walked through endless fields and computer fields
networks and as a result of the global split of the system
completely unexpectedly met a Hacker by name
, who was doing his daily exercise.
They liked each other, and after the usual questions
about health and expectant conversations about the weather are decisive
should we talk about CitiBank, to which the Hacker had
the most direct relationship.
   And despite the fact that  at the time of conversation
was physically in Moscow, and the Hacker was in St. Petersburg and
they talked via electronic communication channels
on-line, they drank exactly the same beer...
   : What is your name?
   : Interesting question, I haven't thought of one yet.
   : What ledyou into the world of computers?
   : Curiosity, no less.
   : Why did you become a hacker and what is it
does it mean to you?
   : Probably also curiosity, ways to semi-
gaining information, new sensations.
   : Feelings of what?
   : It's hard to describe... Actually not
it is important how to get new sensations - you can
walk and look around, you can get information
mation via computer. At some stage the flow of letters
and the numbers on the screen can develop something like an additional
naughty feeling.
   : Rumor has it that there is a special philosophy in this
sofia...
   : Maximum access to information.
ALL information must be freely available. This
borders on anarchy, I am a computer anarchist.
   : Do you call yourself a cyberpunk?
   : In a sense, yes.
   : On the flyleaf of Bruce Sterling's book "The
Hacker Crackdown" published a fragment of an interview with the boss
nickname of the New York police, who says that hackers,
in principle, incapable of creative programming
roving. How do you assess yourself in this regard?
   : Theoretically, I'm probably capable of
i.e. I remember doing something like this a few times
years ago.  In general, if there is any interesting
project, I would consider taking part in it
participation. But it would be correct to start with the fact that
now more and moreare separated by programming
coding, actual coding, and hacking. This is very
various things. They intersect, but nothing more.
Therefore, the question is not entirely correct, although I understand
its background, they say, “but they didn’t create anything and
They can’t create anything!” Yes, probably a lot
hackers have never written a single program in their lives,
but this does not in any way detract from their qualifications.  This
separate specialty. Honestly, I don't think
that I can achieve some interesting successes
in the field of programming in general.
   : What is the number of hackers in Moscow and St. Petersburg?
   : You know, everyone calls themselves a hacker
who cares, there are plenty of people who don’t “break” anything
themselves, but readily use the recipes of others.
There are those who don’t do this, but still consider
They pretend to be hackers.  I think the real hackers are in
In St. Petersburg there are about a dozen, and in Moscow there are 20 - 30 people.
   : There is a difference between Moscow and St. Petersburg
what hacker parties?
   : They are very different.
   : What?
   : In Moscow they are absolutely sure that
they are cool, and everyone else doesn’t know how to do anything. Except
Moreover, they claim that it is impossible to work for
Sun's workstation: Solaris does not work on it,
X/Windows is slow while I hacked CitiBank,
working on a PC XT "Rainbow", purchased for $100, and can
Deme at 2400 baud.
   :Is there a single underground association?
the opinion of hackers in Russia?
   : There is a list of people they know about.
If they say that DreadLord is coming to St. Petersburg, then that’s it
understand that a person is traveling with whom it is interesting to hang out
steal. Usually the hacker party is
a certain company in which there are 2 - 3 serious people
centuries and a certain number of people who turn-
standing around and looking.
   : What do you have to do with hacking?
   : Almost nothing. Except perhaps for free
possible access to various computer networks and television
background lines of other countries.
   : Is it difficult to penetrate “closed” computers?
yuters?
   : Whenever. This is quite specific
some activity.  It all depends on what means
used for hacking. Sometimes this requires
lack of special programs, sometimes - studying missing
tatkov in defense, some standard "holes",
which are described in hacker literature.  Sometimes it's
pure, you know, chance, hacker intuition,
studying the psychology of a security administrator
ness.
   : Why did you start hacking CitiBank?
   : You see, Russia is quite boring in
sense of distribution of those computers that I
interesting, namely VAX/VMS systems and the like.
It probably started at the end of 1993.  I was looking
a computer on which one could study the work
OS andgenerally see what they look like.  So
the computer ended up being the car of one of
CitiBank network administrators.
   : What did the electronic hacking process look like?
ma CitiBank?
   : Ooh, that wasn't easy...
The CitiBank hack wasn't just a break-in
some specific computer - it was a long time and
thorough examination of the entire computer network. In everything
In one way or another, a huge amount of people took part in this
number of people from different countries: Bulgaria,
Italy, Brazil, the States... Well, of course, people from
St. Petersburg and Moscow.   Most of the information
I collected information about CitiBank myself.
   : Where did you collect it?
   : I used a variety of sources
kami.  Firstly, the computer used for
internal communications by bank employees, some
BBS, which was located in a very open area
networks. One of the sources of information about her was said-
nizing the addresses of computers connected to the network
Sprint.   A hacker log was also used
Phrak #42. In general, I must say that what happened
on the Sprint network, which has nothing to do with the Internet
does not have. Sprint is smaller than Internet, but more reliable.
For serious commercial projects, the Internet is not suitable
walks - it's just a big toy. It has no owner
ina, everyone who is connected to it provides
small piecenetworks.  Sprint is more wooden,
therefore more reliable, and therefore more effective.  So,
CitiBank's internal network is very large and has
exit to Sprint. It all started with that same BBS, on
which everyone who scanned addresses comes across
CitiBank's network, and which was available practically
personally from any city; now it doesn't work.
This BBS allowed new user registration
and viewing part of the data stored there, but prohibiting
la sending messages.  Later, when I had
access to service logins, it became possible to transfer
give credits to other users and thus
gain access to something suitable for sending messages
and on-line conversations in the machine. In short, I got
opportunity to talk to other hackers I
"met" there. And if anyone was of interest, I
could transfer credits to him, and he would receive the right to
sending and receiving e-mail and transferring files internally
systems. I started using this BBS for 1.5 - 2 hours
a day in the hope of bumping into an interesting person
ka. And such a person was found...
   We opened another bottle of beer,
and he continued:
   : I started studying email
one of the administrators of the CitiBank network, and with
using the information that his computer stored, I
managed to penetrate other clusters of the system.  Except
besides, I used it for storageyour files and
to run programs that study the capabilities of the system.
This went on for several months and I'm still
I don’t understand how this guy could not notice that
someone works on his computer almost every day
night.
   : Are you saying that the system person-
CitiBank's cash turned out to be incompetent?
   : Yes, exactly that.  And now they
They are trying to claim that they have been following me for a long time.  But on
in fact, they only scratched when I
changed the system configuration so that I
it was more convenient to get to the computer I needed,
using fewer backhaul connections.
Only after that they started following me,
and with the help of programs that I uploaded there myself.
   : Don't you think that the administrator
the network simply hid your appearance from management
CitiBank in order not to show its
incompetence?
   : I'm pretty sure of that.  All data
about personnel are stored in a huge database, there is
everything, right down to who has which veterinarian
treats the dog. So, THEY work there for many years,
and THEY clearly didn’t want to lose their jobs.
   : How did the technical staff react to
your appearance on their network?
   : After the network administrator
Michael Olchowski noticed me, he began to follow me
behind me with the help of the same oneprogram that I
I uploaded it there myself. To be honest, I liked this:
despite 10 or more years of experience as a computer scientist
at CitiBank, he retained some rudiments of common sense
meaning in this matter.  To some extent "our
man"... I wanted to come to an agreement with him, but Olchowski
This is a person who doesn't play by the rules.
   : Are you sharpening your grudge against him?
   : Of course! I thought it was possible with him
deal, and tried to talk to him.  The point is
that I needed access to his computer, working
mu under VAX/VMS, and I wanted to come to an agreement with Olchowski
that I will talk about the shortcomings in the system
security, and he will give me access to his car.
He seemed to agree. Being smarter than he thought
I didn’t tell him everything I knew, and for testing
slipped him information about the three "holes" with which
didn't use it anymore.  One of them is OS UNIX error
executed by the "makedir" command, the other is incorrect
operation of one of the servers when accessing the telephone line
network: it just froze. I used these "holes"
to collect information about the system, and at the moment when
I no longer needed them, I handed them over to Olkhovsky. He thought
that I told him everything I know and tried to turn it off
cheat me, although he and I agreed that I
I won’t leave “holes” in the system for hacks, but he doesn’t
blocks my access to the system, i.e. we play honestly
nomu. And in general, inthe system has too much
processes that wrote something to disk, I realized
that all terminal communication sessions with him are logged
and the connection was interrupted. Then I sent him a letter
by e-mail, in which he said that if he wants
contact me, then let him send me an email to
my address is on the CitiBank network.
   : Is it true that you made yourself invisible?
we are for administrators?
   : Naturally, I did. There are processes, not
being custom. They are called systems
ny symbionts. I declared myself as such. Actually
In fact, there are signs by which we can be distinguished -
sinking system symbiont from the fake one, Olchowski
I couldn’t do that. He was quite puzzled when I called
him on an on-line conversation, and after looking through the list
users registered at that moment, it
I didn't find anyone.  Then he immediately began to backup
some data on disk so I can do something with it
didn't.
   : Nice... Tell me, what about the information?
about CitiBank fell into the hands of Vladimir Levin?
   : You see, besides me, hacking
3 more people were involved in CitiBank, and, in principle,
each of them received a sufficient amount of information
mation. We weren't ready to do what he did
Levin, we used the network as a source
other resources - non-monetary: free access
to the X.25 network, to the correctcomputers... We don't have
there was a goal to transfer money, we believed that the information
tion for this is clearly not enough, that it needs to be collected
keep fighting, and we’ll see.  But one of the members
Our "group" decided to do a small business.
He simply sold this information to Levin, naturally.
without telling any of us not to share.  By the way,
Levin had to explain almost everything in
fingers, as I was told. And he sold it for $100.
   : Why 100?
   : Binge drinking... The man was depressed.
He especially did not believe that Levin was able to produce
all the preparatory operations that he has
people who can prepare all this, and that Levin
will really do all this.
   : Do you know Levin personally?
   : No, I've never seen him. But in any case
In this case, I can hardly have a positive
impression of a person who pays money for
information and immediately tries to apply this information
thread for commercial purposes. Somewhat strange option
games. However, I have heard quite good things about him
things.
   : Why was Levin caught?
   : Greed... It is clear that if
steal 10 million...
   : So still 10 million?...
   : I don't know.  In any case, if he
transferred three thousand, then no one would notice it...
   : You mean what theten million
Lions are watching, but no one cares about three thousand?
   : Too expensive to look for... Well, Levin
- what I know about him is that the person is quite incompetent -
tent. As far as I remember, he graduated from Leningrad
Institute of Technology  Hmmm, so, first of all,
greed, and secondly, incompetence.  And thirdly
I, and others, behaved quite carelessly...
One person from our group actually launched
shutdown on one of the computers...
   : Shutdown?...
   : This is a program that jams
system. He sent her into a drinking binge.  He had enough for
this is access rights. I then argued with him for a very long time.
   : What is the real amount stolen?
   : Pfft! I have no idea! That's all there is to it
Levin, and how much he transferred to where, I have no idea.
As far as I know, $400,000 is what we succeeded in
at the very beginning, before it was noticed, but
this is a dark matter.  Not to mention that CitiBank
is probably trying to blame all the losses on Levin,
which were incurred as a result of operator errors.
One can only guess about the real amount.  And besides
besides, the sum of 10 million dollars, about which everyone
they write - it’s simply nothing compared to how much
CitiBank only pays for computer maintenance
in their African branch.
   : Okay, so CitiBank replaced the system
protecting your network?: They reconfigured something there,
set several additional passwords. Somewhere
access from external networks was denied.  But change everything
impossible, it's too big a network.  However, I
I forgot to tell you that CitiBank after this story
made it impossible to access his network from St. Petersburg.
Of course, we found some workarounds, but all this
very inconvenient.
   : Are you saying that you still can?
get into CitiBank's computers?
   : No, I don't want to at all.  Now I have
there is no control over the CitiBank network, and I would very much rather not
I wanted some information to be published
tion that will make you think that something similar has already
what happened is still possible.
   : How much do you estimate the damage to be?
CitiBank?
   : There is a paranoid way when
everything is assessed, including staff salaries, occupations,
involved in "catching" burglars. Well, on the other hand,
The bank's reputation suffered greatly.
   : Are you going to continue studying
hacking commercial computer networks?
   : Doesn't really matter to me,
commercial networks or not.
   : What does it matter in this case?
   : I'm interested in the task itself, to some extent
within reasonable limits, of course.  When I noticed
that passwords on the NASA network via X.25 change every
32 hours, I realized that eitheryou need to act there
very quickly, or look for something else.  So what if
the task turns out to be so difficult that I
there is nothing to do, then it’s not interesting to me.
   : What objects are on the territory of Russia
Are they of real interest to hackers?
   : Any large networks of large offices.
I've been thinking for a long time that it's time to collect
information about objects on the territory of Russia. Military,
for example, or large banks...
   : So, our banks have decent
network hacking?
   : I don't know yet. In general, in Russia it is extremely
unprofessional approach to building networks in a company
commercial purposes. One of the banks generally uses
communication using Fidonet technology. Everything is built on a PC basis:
"PC is cool." Yeah, but not very good - a good thing
won't be called a pussy... (editor's note: here are the words
not a boy, but a husband!-)
   : What other achievements in the field of hacker-
how can you boast?
   : Nothing serious, just something to play around with
Every average hacker is different
commercial services and networks: GEnie, CompuServe,
AmericaOnLine and similar, primitive frauds
with credit cards.
   : Something on Russian territory: television
background stations for example?
   : Unfortunately, telephone exchanges
in Russia, as a rule, not to any computer networks
not connected. Thatis there some way
control their behavior with the help of some special
codes: sometimes you need to find special numbers, send
let me tell you some frequency, but I don’t have access to it
information.
   : Are the Russians hunting for you?
intelligence services?
   : The beauty of the situation is that
There are many special services, and they cannot agree with each other.
rush. Those who know everything about me don’t follow me
hunt, and those who don’t know, maybe wanted to
I would like to know, but, alas, they are not friends with the former.
   : So who are they?
   : I wouldn't like to say...
   : Well, do you feel like a criminal yourself?
   : Difficult question. As a matter of fact, this
about attitudes towards laws in general. Against Russian laws
I didn’t do anything, but if we think globally,
then, as a person who considers himself an anarchist, I can
consider yourself a criminal. There are some things that...
which I consider completely unacceptable for myself, but
they are completely unrelated to any external
laws that the state sets for itself.
   : How do you assess the security of the world,
in which there are computer networks and hackers?
   : What does this mean, “safety of the world”?
The level of security does not depend on secrecy,
security depends on complete transparency.  What
good for CitiBank is not necessarily good for
all over the world, andon the contrary...


Computer Review #10(34) - March 20, 1996

Editor's note:

   While this text was being typed, international
native news received a message that a certain group
hackers in England cracked satellite access codes
British security service, changed its orbit
and now demands a tidy sum for the return of the satellite
amount. Isn't it true, it looks like the plot of a famous
film "Under Siege 2. On the Dark Side."  However this
not a script for a new action movie. How it all ended
the news was not reported, but inquisitive, I think
will be able to find out more about this using the Internet.