QOTD: Have You Ever Hacked Anything?

[Guest]

Just some little stuff, used schtasks to interrupt class by displaying random off color images, the first few times the teacher was annoyed so she disconnected the computer connected to the projector... too bad tasks were already scheduled and scared the crap out of her.

 

[Avenger762]

I used to hack my old AppleDOS games on an Apple IIe. I'd fix them so that I'd have 99 lives or unlimited ammunition etc.

 

[JasonAkkerman]

I removed in-game copy protection from an old X-Wing game by looking for the names of the planets in a resource file and changing them all the spaces. That was a long time ago.

I use to work network security company doing penetration testing mostly for industrial companies. You would be very surprised how easy it would be to hack into some of these places. Modems connected directly to serial ports on control systems (PLC's) are a very bad thing. Especially when this particular PLC (SLC500) has a generic password that will allow access to any PLC by this manufacture (Allen Bradly, the password is abunlock BTW, how original).

I have also done a few others, like "borrowing" someones MAC address in a starbucks to get free wireless access, or hacking peoples computers and finding personal files. I have not done that in a very long time (Win 2000, very easy to hack considering you could get a full user list and other system information without any access rights). I was never able to hack into a computer with webcam thought, I always wanted to see their homes.

There are others but this is enough. I just want to point out that was white hat for a lot longer then I was black.

 

[werfu]

I used to hack in back in high school. Started of with the local network, grabbed a lot of homework and exam back then. That shit was nice. Then I started playing on the net, scaring the shit out of some little dude on IRC by putting files on their desktop (aah good old 9x full of hole). One day I breaked into the network of our local airport (which is by the way an International airport). I left a note explaining how I breaked in and how to fix it. Back then it was fun. After a while I switched side, started by part time working for the school. I ended up with a computer tech diploma, worked for that school. Now, I'm almost finish with the Bacc and working for a multinational consultant company. Time is slipping by so fast.

 

[zendax]

When I rebuilt my Dell PC with a new Case, Mobo, and PSU, I found that the copy of PowerDVD I received with the computer would only allow itself to be installed on Dell computers, with a nice error message stating such when I attempted to install.

I copies the entire contents of the CD to my hard drive. Upon examining the INF file I found that it was written in plain text, and the very first line was "Manufacturer=DELL". I simply changed 'DELL' to '0', saved, and successfully ran the setup program.

 

[marshallladd]

I turned my friends MSI Wind into a Hackintosh and I rooted my G1. Rooting the G1 was probably one of the cooler things I have done tech wise. It's my first time delving into the internals of a mobile device.

 

[grieve]

I am a little surprised how easily people on this site admit CRIMES. I am sure we have all done some of these things… but it’s illegal, why would you tell everyone?!!

 

[waikano]

http://db.glug-bom.org/lug-authors/philip/docs/hackers-not-crackers.html

Using this definition several things. Although nothing that the is world controlling or harmful to others.

 

[waikano]

[citation][nom]grieve[/nom]I am a little surprised how easily people on this site admit CRIMES. I am sure we have all done some of these things… but it’s illegal, why would you tell everyone?!![/citation]

Not all hacking is criminal...Read and Head

http://db.glug-bom.org/lug-authors/philip/docs/hackers-not-crackers.html

 

[downer88]

Patched old version of Linspire to run Debian.

 

[powerbaselx]

Sorry... i don't have the OOJL's to answer freely to that question. 🙂

(Note: for you not used to this, OOJL stands for Out-of-Jail Letter, used to let you perform your hack with authorization from the target. It probably won't keep you from being arrested but will let your lawyer do his job easily.)

 

[rooket]

I'm not sure if it is called hacking, but a guy running a local bbs had a user whom he said was close friends with another guy. Anyways, he said hey this guy might use the same password as his friend.

So I tried the password and it worked.

I got full leech access on a bbs called USS Enterprise run by a guy called Picard and could download anything I wanted. Might not be anyone on tom's hardware who even knows what that bbs is, but if you do a quick google search you can find plenty of nfo files for that board. Back in those times, it was difficult to find software and people had really stupid elitist attitudes and often hoarded things so most people couldn't find and play it.

Other than that I dunno I got caught by AT&T carding the only one time I did it, to call LD. But they only charged me for calls within my own state which I did very little of. Most times I was calling out of state. I think the guy who gave me the calling card # actually was the owner and wanted to frame me and get me in a lot of trouble which is why it was so easy to acquire the #. I was only in high school at the time so I doubt much could have been done to me regardless. I had to pay AT&T $50 which at the time I didn't have any issues with paying. Usually my monthly phone bills for calling bbses were around $50-$70 a month anyway so I guess they just charged me long distance fees. Oh and I didn't use the CC to call Picard's board, that happened long before I found that password. I could have actually telnetted to there which is probably what I should have done.

I was with a friend once when he was war driving but he only did that a couple times several years ago.

But any real hacking, no.. that is too difficult to figure out where to begin. Even if you get some 2600 magazines, that won't really help much. I assume usually a beginner will know someone on the internet that knows a lot of things and get introduced to hacking. Otherwise to figure out how to do things on your own must be pretty difficult.

 

[Silicon Supremacist]

I have modded several devices over the years to activate features and or to improve the device. For example: added a master switch so I could kill all lights, including Brake Lights and Backup Lights on several of my cars. Communications Scanners, to unlock frequencies/bands, increase the scan speed, to access the IFF, add PC interface, etc. Have done some of the the above to Shortwave Radios. Have modded CB radios to work out of band. Use an old style 46MHz Cordless Phone that has Voice Scrambling(Inversion)to decrypt Police comms. I have a database of codes,to enter the "Service Mode Menus" for many Brands and models of Office Machines, including Copiers, Mailing Machine, Meters, Fax Machines, Printers(Impact, Laser, LED, Thermal and Solid Ink)Digital Scales, Inserters, Routers, PCs, etc.
My current experiments are with IR Cameras for night vision. www.supercircuits.com

 

[Silicon Supremacist]

Not all, or even most hacking/modding is illegal. Some is even encouraged by the Manufacturer. Overclocking your PC, for example! I have heavily modded my PC case.

 

[beejay82]

I've usually hacked my Verizon Cell Phones to let me use mp3 ring tones. Verizon Wireless usually has these things disabled so you would have to pay using VCast.

I've also installed a different firmware on my Linksys wireless router for added functionality and performance.

I've also hacked a HP laptop that had drive lock enabled. That was pretty fun to do. =)

 

[bildo123]

I hacked Toms Hardware so to post this ridiculous news, because i'm brain dead and don't have anything else to do.

Seriously...who would post what they have REALLY done (if anything) ? - only immature kids.

bah.

The hypocritism in this post is strong...

 

[SlicerX]

[citation][nom]JMS3096[/nom]Let's see...probably my greatest hack was setting up a VPN from school to home using randomly rotating ports so that I couldn't be blocked, remote desktopping into my home system through the link, then using it to bring in some specialised tools to prevent the SCHOOL'S RDP client, designed to watch us, from keeping track of what I was doing. My tool basically told the VNC server that was running on each computer at school that the computers screen resolution was 100,000x100,000. Basically, that meant that even if the admin was viewing what i was doing at full screen, my entire workstation was rendered as a tiny rectangle 10x7 pixels in size. Not only that, but the program also used distributed computing throughout the school district computers to render random desktops, the same size, to fill up the rest of the virtual screen. So, the admin could never have any idea what I was doing. Besides this, I piped that same image through a couple other computers to show on the viewer so that not only could he not see what I was doing, he couldn't even see who I was or what terminal I was using.And if you believe that, I have the final source code for Windows 8 to sell you.[/citation]

XD I lol'd

 

[PhilFrisbie]

Of course! That is, hacking in the original "old school" sense. Everything from hacking my copy of BASIC (loaded from tape...that was 1978!) so my BASIC programs would only work on my copy to make it harder for others to steal my modified Star Trek game 😉, to hacking the admin password on an embossing printer where the vendor wanted to charge for a site call to change simple settings, to hacking a BIOS image so that I could upgrade my CPU from a P2 to a P3.

 

[WheelsOfConfusion]

I hacked a Mindstorms (the original set) so that it would cheat for me in a Nintendo DS game.

 

[Guest]

I once hacked my Mobile Service provider's webiste......They set up an onliver service that allowed customers to verify their bill online....

They were running an old iis4.....so i used directory traversal vulnerability on them and it worked.....downloaded many a things

 

[Guest]

Nintendo Wii because after 3 (or is it 4 years now?) the games still mostly suck and no improvements have been made to the system hardware in terms of shrinks or redesigns to lesson costs.

Nintendo DS so I can play SNES and NES games I still own, without being tethered to my tv in the spare room or without having to break out the systems. SNES Bass Master Classic > all. And don't forget NBA Jam.

 

[tijmen007]

The computers at school, which run Novell 4.x ... I really hate novell, so that's why ^^

 

[cl_spdhax1]

nope, never.

 

[ik242]

long time ago i purchased game called Pinball Dreams. i liked it a lot but it was pain to start because it required entering word from the manual (program provides page, line and word number). the problem was that darn thing was printed in yellow - on yellow background. i was having hell of a time to see it because of very subtle color difference. so many times i was just leaving PC on. then i started making my own list of all questions and answers so i don't need to frip through manual and strain my eyes. eventually i got so sick of it that I decided to stop it once for all. I loaded game into debuger, and started following code. all it needed was to overwrite first long call with several NOPs.

 

[masop]

I performed a successful soft-mod of my original XBOX using a $1.99 used copy of the original "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell" game from GameStop, a free 1GB USB Flash Drive from MicroCenter, a free copy of the Action Replay software from some web site, an FTP Client and a 50 foot long Cat5 Ethernet Cable. The relatively straight forward directions were courtesy of the internet. That is the only thing I've "hacked" if that is what you want to call it, even if it is a completely reversable mod.

Just to make a cheese comment. I've also hacked the windows registry about a million times since Windows 95 first came out, in absolute defiance of Microsoft! j/k Hehe. 🙂

-- MaSoP