We were Hacked

Posted By: Ryan Thursday, September 7, 2000 11:36:53 AM

Sometime late last night around 2 AM EST, the PalmInfocenter was hacked. You can check out the hacked page here. The "hacker" simply renamed the homepage and made his anti-RIAA propaganda page the default. Fortunately no harm was done to the site, and it appears that this was part of a random "pro-Napster" hacking attack. Everything should be back to normal and we'll continue to bring you the latest Palm OS news.

Article Comments

 (26 comments)

The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. PalmInfocenter is not responsible for them in any way.
Please Login or register here to add your comments.

Comments Closed Comments Closed
This article is no longer accepting new comments.

Down

Cool!

I.M. Anonymous @ 9/7/2000 12:42:04 PM #
I like the fact that people are uniting against these major record labels in order to fight for napster. I'm not gonna sit here and lecture on why I think napster is cool or why I think it shouldn't be stopped. I just wanted to say that I respect the people like pimpshizpimpshiz that are making it known that people out there are still trying to help napster. Democracy in action baby!!!

To Palminfocenter staff:
Well, at least this goes to show that this site is being publicized pretty well. Keep up the good work!

RE: Cool!
I.M. Anonymous @ 9/7/2000 1:13:18 PM #
"Democracy in action" doesn't justify screwing up some other web site that has nothing to do with the issue...



RE: Cool!
I.M. Anonymous @ 9/7/2000 1:24:10 PM #
I am pro Napster, anti RIAA, and I think pimpshizpimpshiz didn't do a damn thing to help either cause. In fact I think he hurt a great deal more than he helped by attacking a website that has nothing to do with the issue. What an idiot.

RE: Cool!
I.M. Anonymous @ 9/8/2000 1:10:38 AM #
I use Napster everyday. But this idiot just hacked my favorite website. What am I to do? Support this guy and let him hack all other websites too?

RE: Cool! - no it's a waste of time
I.M. Anonymous @ 9/8/2000 12:27:18 PM #
Over all was a move of self promotion. Noting more. I don't give a rats #$@# about Napster and neither does he. If the record companies were smart they would invent something better than Napster and get some money out of it.

Stop wasting time and energy one complaining and get productive.

RE: Cool!
I.M. Anonymous @ 9/8/2000 1:52:03 PM #
That is not the way for ones to express their opinion though.

"...Everything should be back to noral..."

grantb @ 9/7/2000 4:10:28 PM #
Well, not quite nor[m]al yet. ;->

Stupid, very stupid

I.M. Anonymous @ 9/7/2000 4:53:46 PM #
If the idiot who did the hack had any style, he would have hacked the RIAA site. THAT would have said something. Hacking a site that has nothing to do with the issue, just angers a bunch of people that MAY have been behind his efforts.

I don't mind people getting angry and speaking their mind, even if it means a little anarchy, but no reason to harm innnocent people in the process.

Michael Ashby
michael@ashbygroup.com

RE: Stupid, very stupid
Gatsby @ 9/8/2000 10:09:10 AM #
Yeah, I'd have to say he did very little outside of getting a bunch of members of the Palm community upset with him.

Freedom of speech does not mean infringing on someone elses freedoms.

RE: Stupid, very stupid
I.M. Anonymous @ 9/8/2000 10:32:44 AM #
stupid ? STUPID ? ?? style ? ? what are you talking about ? he's trying to get his point across, and that's one way to do it. . . and style has nothing to do with it. . if "they" wanted. . they'd bring the whoe RIAA site down and the web host that hosts it. . .i don't think you have an idea of what you're talking about. . . and one more thing :-) i would watch out, who i'm calling an idiot :-) you never know, who's got your IP :-0 ehhehe

Knowledge is Power!
Get Some . . . FAST!

RE: Stupid, very stupid
I.M. Anonymous @ 9/8/2000 11:23:20 AM #
Yes, this person probably would have hacked the RIAA web site if possible. Read some of the technical web sites, and you'll learn this these hacks are being done by a loophole in the Win NT server, so I guess RIAA's web site doesn't run on this platform.

RE: Stupid, very stupid
I.M. Anonymous @ 9/8/2000 1:24:56 PM #
Actually it's not really that stupid, if you think about it, "they/he's" killing two birds w/ one stone!
1) to get his point across (pro-napster)
2) testing out the security on the website
Since no damage was done, pimpshizpimpshiz is a respectable hacker!

RE: Stupid, very stupid
Ed @ 9/8/2000 1:28:58 PM #
But there _was_ damage done. Hundreds of people who wanted to keep up to date on the Palm have been inconvenienced and the reputation of this site has been hurt. Hopefully, most people realize this is a volunteer site run by a few people part time and won't lose all respect for the Palm Infocenter because we picked a host that has a security flaw but I'll bet you this hack has cost us some readers. While that doesn't harm me financially (I'd have to get paid to lose any money) the belief that I'm helping a lot of people is what keeps me involved in this site. If we keep getting hacked to the point where we lose all our readers, I'll have lost one of the better hobbies have had in a while and you'll have lost what I hope was an important source of information on the Palm community.

I didn't have a strong opinion about Napster before but I'll bet you can guess how I feel about it now.

---
Plenipotentiary
Palm InfoCenter

RE: Stupid, very stupid
I.M. Anonymous @ 9/10/2000 3:16:41 PM #
This is in response to the anonymous person scared to give his name. He wrote:
"stupid ? STUPID ? ?? style ? ? what are you talking
about ? he's trying to get his point across, and
that's one way to do it. . . and style has nothing
to do with it. . if "they" wanted. . they'd bring
the whoe RIAA site down and the web host that
hosts it. . .i don't think you have an idea of
what you're talking about. . . and one more thing
:-) i would watch out, who i'm calling an idiot
:-) you never know, who's got your IP :-0 ehhehe"

Style has everything to do with it. If you want your point to be UNDERSTOOD, and not just HEARD, then HOW you do it means a great deal. Take for example street corner preaching. Some preacher stand on the corner and scream at you, while others try and speak to you. Which one would you listen to?

The hacker obviously chose to scream his message. So, yes, he did get his message out, but how many people really listened? Seriously. Yes, it got some splash and now many people who could care less know of the name "Pimpshiz," but I seriously doubt that he changed anyone's mind.

Secondly, you obviously have some respect for "them," whoever "them" is, even though you hide your name in secrecy. They exploited a security hole, big deal. My point was, if "Pimpshiz" had the skills, he would have hacked the RIAA site. THAT would have been impressive and I would have applauded it. Why? Because it strikes at the heart of one of the key players and THAT would have been a statement. Adn I do know what I'm talking about. Pimpshiz can't hack the RIAA site, so he picks on other innocent sites instead. In my book, that's lame.

Now, for your final comment. Because I choose to voice my opinions in a public forum and do so in a legal manner, I should fear Pimpshiz will retaliate against me? Why? By your rationale, he's able to deface any web site he chooses, yet I'm unable to express my opinions?

You, sir are a child and should think before you type. Just because your nose is so deep in his ass that you know what he had for breakfast, by no means makes you an expert, nor a knowledgable party. You are a sycophant. Click here to look it up (http://www.dictionary.com/cgi-bin/dict.pl?term=sycophant)

===========
Ok, now that that rant is done, I'd like to say that I do think that Pimpshiz was being nice by only changing the front page. That IS to be commended. I don't agree with what he did, but I respect that he limited himself to his message.

Hacked page

I.M. Anonymous @ 9/8/2000 11:14:03 AM #
Thank you for leaving this page up for your users to view. It sounds like this hacker did not want to cause damage but more so, wanted to state his opinion, for which I can understand.

RE: Hacked page
I.M. Anonymous @ 9/8/2000 12:31:15 PM #
Then why not take out an ad in the paper. Oh wait he would have to pay for that. He's just in to getting things for free. God forbid we should pay for the work of others.

Did you get the patch?

I.M. Anonymous @ 9/8/2000 11:20:39 AM #
According to a CNET article, the hacker used an "unpublished hole in Microsoft Windows NT". In his message to you he said to email him if you wanted the patch. Did you do this and, if so, would you mind sharing the patch?

RE: Did you get the patch?
I.M. Anonymous @ 9/8/2000 2:56:47 PM #
Why would you ant code written by somebody with these *ethics*? Patch a hole with a new hole?
Brilliant.

Bill

RE: Did you get the patch?
I.M. Anonymous @ 9/8/2000 2:58:30 PM #
ant code

Bill

> stray W

RE: Did you get the patch?
I.M. Anonymous @ 9/8/2000 3:07:55 PM #
No, I'm trying to quit.

But thanks.


RE: Did you get the patch?
admin @ 9/8/2000 3:27:46 PM #
There is no patch yet. I haven't seen anything from M$ on this and reports are circulating that Pimp is using a unpublished securuty flaw in NT server. If anyone does hear or find a patch please let me know.

------
Ryan
PalmInfocenter webmaster
webmaster@palminfocenter.com

Keep it Legal

Anti-thief @ 9/8/2000 12:58:55 PM #
There is a time and place for everything. Hacking this site not only displayed poor taste but was illegal and cost the business money. It was not "Democracy in action." just common larceny.

I.M

I.M. Anonymous @ 9/8/2000 5:31:01 PM #
I think what the hacker did was a good thing, ps, we live in a Republic not a Democracy


RE: I.M
EGarrido @ 9/8/2000 9:36:56 PM #
Dude, actually we live in both a republic and democracy. There isn't much difference between the two.

And there are definitely ways to get your point across without hacking this awesome site which doesn't have anything to do with music (neither did many of the other sites), which is where he really should have focased. Why, for example, did he hack the Aboriginal People's Television Network???

I have to say, being an ex hacker and a newly found computer consultant because of it, that I don' repect that guy. I *love* Napster and I *hate* Metallica and Lars, especially after that skit in the MTV Video Music Awards about sharing. The guy has a good cause, but when it violates me and my way of doing things (Coming here often) then it really pisses me off.

Did you notice how the first time he hacked the site, he left an aol email address, and the second he left another? He can't be that smart, as I'm almost positive AOL shut down his account. And he's really dumb if he used a real credit card to set up the account.

WTF! What are you hiding?

xx404xx @ 9/9/2000 4:04:53 AM #
Earler today the mirror version of the hacked Palm Infocenter page had the "crackers" e-mail address as an @aol.com address - now it's @hushmail.com? WHAT THE FUCK? Why change the address in the copied, mirror version on your site, PALMINFOCENTER?

COTN~MF!
cotn.nailed.org
webmaster@cotn.zzn.com

RE: WTF! What are you hiding? -Nothing
Admin @ 9/9/2000 12:35:52 PM #
I'm not hiding anything, We've been completely open about this incident. You see the hacker has broken in 3 times and he changed his own email address, probably because AOL booted him. No one knows yet (even M$) how to stop or patch this new exploit. I'm sure there are plenty other NT shops vunerable right now.

------
Ryan
PalmInfocenter webmaster
webmaster@palminfocenter.com
Top

Account

Register Register | Login Log in
user:
pass:

Latest Comments

  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST((SELECT/**/CASE/**/IS_SRVROLEMEM
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST((SELECT/**/CASE/**/IS_SRVROLEMEM
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST((SELECT/**/CASE/**/IS_SRVROLEMEM
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST(db_name()/**/AS/**/NVARCHAR(4000
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST(db_name()/**/AS/**/NVARCHAR(4000
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST(db_name()/**/AS/**/NVARCHAR(4000
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST(db_name()/**/AS/**/NVARCHAR(4000
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST(db_name()/**/AS/**/NVARCHAR(4000