Free Mafiaboy

Free Mafiaboy
Kevin Poulsen, SecurityFocus 2000-04-24

Busting 15-year-old script kiddies just makes us all look silly.

Free MafiaBoy 2000-04-24
Anonymous (1 replies)

The title of your article was very clever. It gives the impression that this case would be used by the author to wave the flag of the pro-hacker community. However, a quick read and one can immediately determine that this is not the case.

However, I believe you minimize the level of thought put...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Some points: 2000-04-25
Anonymous (1 replies)

What do DDoS attacks have to do with hacking?

Besides, the Bragging on IRC point is weak, anyone can have any nick at any time.

...

[ more ] [ reply ]

re 2000-04-26
Anonymous

obviously they reviewed logs and connected these along with other technical clues (he would have had to leave a trail from his isp to the irc chat room) to his identity rather than simply connecting the alias of nick ... think before you post...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Innocent Mind 2000-04-24
Anonymous (7 replies)

The kid is innocent, the guy who wrote the code and publish to the web "Download this and screw those servers Ebay,yahoo, etc.. " That is the guy to bust. But again, it'S too difficult to bust him/her. It just prove tht the security on the servers is not very important for those big million bucks co...

[ more ] [ reply ]

BUST who? 2000-04-25
Anonymous

Thanks God for the person(s) who wrote the code that mafiaboy used!!

Let's face it the information highway has become the commercialized highway, but it was

never built to handle all this money. We have built a city on clay!! And we are reminded of this daily by

scripts kiddies just like Mafia...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Whats the point? [Re: Innocent Mind] 2000-04-25
<siliconx (at) netscape (dot) net [email concealed]> (3 replies)

In response to the previous anonymous posting stating that we shouldn't bust Mafiaboy, but instead focus the blame on the person who invented the tool (Mixter I believe), I dont see how that is justifiable. Granted, these attacks probably wouldn't have occurred if the tools weren't readily available...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Hrmmm, to a degree 2000-04-26
Anonymous

This is in referance to both posts above. First of all... Mafiaboy is by no means an innocent. Thats like saying,"Its the gun manufactureres that are bad, they allow people to buy guns." When in truth it is the person who pulled the trigger that is in fact to blame. Why? Because in this society...

[ more ] [ reply ]

the tool 2000-04-26
Anonymous

We can't go after the person who created the tool, that would be like going after Smith and Wesson for the Columbine shootings. It's not the tools who do the damage, it is the people who do the damage, and in effect, the platforms who blindly provide a platform from which to fire.

...tito...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Whats the point? [Re: Innocent Mind] 2000-05-07
Anonymous

We're not talkin brick's - we're talking pushers giving out guns for free to kids in schools....

[ more ] [ reply ]

re:Innocent mind 2000-04-26
Anonymous

Actually, the security of the machines used in the attacks is where the inherent problem lies. The machines like Kevin stated which are dangling from high speed links and are not secured at all are where the litigation should target.

This is where, as security professionals, we should be focusin...

[ more ] [ reply ]

You can't be serious! 2000-04-27
Anonymous (1 replies)

Great idea. We'll bust the guy who made it public that there is a major problem, and provided some proof. That will set a wonderful precident. Then people who find vulnerabilities and problems won't make them public, they'll keep them to themselves and their associates. Think about it. If Mixter had...

[ more ] [ reply ]

You can't be serious! 2000-05-08
Anonymous

that is dumb. it's the sysadmin's job to diagnose these problems, and fix, or create a fix for them.

it's stupid to let this skryP^t k1ddie go. he is a dumb kid that puts shame on younger people who try and make it in the IT field. I am a 17 year old CEO of a consulting firm...

do you have an...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Innocent mind 2000-05-01
Anonymous

The kid is innocent, the guy who wrote hte code is guilty??? Give me a break. That's like saying the guy who pulled the trigger is innocent, it's Smith & Wesson for making the gun who is guilty.

This kid went out and got the tools and used them. HE IS GUILTY and he should pay the price!!!...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Innocent Mind 2000-05-07
Anonymous

It's not hard. Almost everybody with half an ear into the scene and the other half into IRC or just listening to the rants in Silicon Valley knows who wrote and published stacheldraht, stream and other tools of mischief.

The US has always been famous for not prosecuting the producer but the user,...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Re: Innocent Mind 2007-06-01
Kifferd

If you would use your brain you would know the guy who invented the tool used my Mafiaboy were already hired by the feds, thats how the got to mafiaboy, he was 1 out of 6 people the guy sent the program too. but yall talk crap, plz, info befire you open your mouth....

[ more ] [ reply ]

more than just mafiaboys fault 2000-04-25
Anonymous

I can't help but think that this is a little like having your car stolen if you leave the keys in it.

Yes, the person that stole it is still a criminal, but the court is less impressed with your arguments, and the insurance company laughs at you.

CNN left the keys in their car....

[ more ] [ reply ]

Free Mafiaboy 2000-04-25
Anonymous

If you view this like other crimes that get people up in arms it makes it easy to decide what to do. If a poacher of game animals gets caught hunting without a license or out of season they confiscate his firearms, truck, fine him, and don't allow him to have a hunting license for a year. So confi...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Easy attack? Anyone could do it? 2000-04-25
Anonymous (2 replies)

This was no simple attack that anyone who downloaded the tools could perform. Sorry, its just not true. From my understanding, the flood of packets was launched from several hundred hacked servers. Granted, the software tools Trinoo and others make it easier to hide the source of a DDoS attack, b...

[ more ] [ reply ]

If.. 2000-04-26
Anonymous

If all those sys-ads had put the effort in beforehand maybe these attacks wouldn't have happened.

Just a thought.

__________________

Zeberdee...

[ more ] [ reply ]

You don't need to hack 300 machines for a 300-node DDoS attack. 2000-04-29
Anonymous

Actually, the DDoS attacts (that's Distributed Denial of Service, as in 'more than one source') came from several hundred machines that weren't nessassarally hacked. One can load a faceless application on a mac or a service on a windows machine or a shell script on any shell machine (no root privies...

[ more ] [ reply ]

guilty? right. 2000-04-25
Anonymous

poulsen, i'm quite surprised to see you tossing the term "guilty"

around like this. there's been no trial, no conviction; it's beyond

irresponsible to be drawing conclusions like this at this time. i'm

expect that crap from clueless media pundits, but not from you.

also, it's not just canadian...

[ more ] [ reply ]

clueless media 2000-04-25
Anonymous

the most annoying aspect of this entire debacle has been

stomaching the clueless comments of the mainstream media.

papers here gave ink to people like carolyn meinel on this

subject, for chrissake. that's akin to asking the pope for his

expert opinion on the joys of anal intercourse and satani...

[ more ] [ reply ]

NO WAY 2000-04-25
Anonymous

we don't need to catch the rest of them?!? it's all right to screw over someone's business just because they are vulnerable?!?

any civilized human would point out someone's shortcomings in a manner that did not weigh an unnecessary impact. any serious technical mind would offer detail and remedy...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Free him? Huh? 2000-04-26
Anonymous

No, freeing him will just be a bad example to the rest of the "15 year olds" out there who want to do this same thing. If we do not push the issue with him, then we effectively encourage this sort of attack. So if a group of teens decide to beat the hell out of their classmate... we should let the...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Mafiaboy 2000-04-26
Anonymous

Send a message, nail any/all to the wall!...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Give me a break 2000-04-26
Anonymous (2 replies)

He broke the law. His actions and the consequences of such in no way, shape, or form make me look silly.

Sorry dude, your off kilter on this one....

[ more ] [ reply ]

Re-read the article 2000-04-26
Anonymous

Your missing the point. Why don't you re-read the article. You will see that whether or not he broke the law was not in question. ...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Yes, it DOES make you look silly. 2000-04-26
Anonymous (1 replies)

The simple fact that this bust is so massively hyped and broadcast indicates that the concept of successfully protecting internet resources is new territory for the FBI, otherwise it would not be newsworthy. I called on the FBI 3 years ago to assist me with a Usenet harrassment investigation, and th...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Yes, it DOES make you look silly. 2000-05-11
Anonymous

Do you know how hard it is to get into the FBI?

Now, you at least need a Masters degree in something such as Computer Science. I'd like to see you get into the FBI. Oh wait, you won't try cause you can't. Your simply not good enough....

[ more ] [ reply ]

we should fry this kid like canadian bacon 2000-04-27
Anonymous

i dont believe that i just liked the canadian bacon part

...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Okay. Point taken, but he did the crime so he should do the time. 2000-04-27
Anonymous

Mafiaboy is being charged for a crime that he, almost without a doubt, did. So why argue that we should free him? (Or was Free Mafiaboy just an eye grabber to get my attention?) Thats the most retarded thing I've ever heard. Then the kid will learn that its okay to commit computer crimes and get cau...

[ more ] [ reply ]

He's not Mafia Boy! I am! 2000-04-28
Anonymous (1 replies)

You're right, I'm not "Mafia Boy". But I do subscribe to the idea that neither is Mr 15-year-old-canada.

There were some good questions raised by 2600 (www.2600.com, a hacker magazine). Apperently, a 2600 staffer went on irc (with nickname 'MafiaBoy') and dropped a few clues to the guy who busted...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Media, 9yrold hacker, mafiaCRAP 2000-04-29
Anonymous

when i was 9 I crashed aol.com and yahoo.com noone cared or cought up to me. But now i have matured and now call myself a hacker then i was just experimenting i used a few programs it tool me an hour on a 2400 baud modem. that is just pathetic. When i heard of this attack i was shhocked i went to ...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Thank you. 2000-04-29
Anonymous

This is exactly what we need to hear. This is downright pathetic. The FBI is little help, concider the following: The FBI tracked down and nabbed a kid who caused corperate hell all over the internet, in two months flat. That's quite a record, concidering how many hundreds of murder cases and ot...

[ more ] [ reply ]

stoooooooooooopid 2000-05-01
Anonymous

"The worst thing in life, is wasted talent" - Robert Deniro

I'm not saying the law is right, but hey, I find it strangely stupid in itself that people would rather get busted and serve years of life in the slammer. Instead of getting paid at least 100k/year for unix systems administration. Come o...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Unreal 2000-05-04
Anonymous

The internet has been at my fingertips for atleast going on 6 years. I am no where near old, yet not quite as young as this "Mafia Boy" chap. My age is below 20 yet i'm not a minor, so do the math. I can't believe it's all these people in the world like louis Freeh who seem to believe that stopping ...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Hackers in the term of the word 2000-05-04
Anonymous

I am in total conjunction with the fact that Hacker is a terrible word in todays usage. There was a time when me and some fellow "Computer users" had a news special ran, noone found out who it was but it depicted the people involved in the obtaining of accounts thru an internet service provider as 3...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Is against the law 2000-05-11
Anonymous

Canada has no laws for this sort of thing. I seriously think Mafiaboy should be charged as a minor and do at least community service for this. Attacking sites is AGAINST the law and even if Canada doesn't have laws like the US, we pretty much set down the laws for the internet in the US. So I thin...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Free the kid -- You can't imagine the consequesnces of your actions - 2000-05-11
Anonymous

Free him or else -

we shouldn't fry the kid - What is he gonna be like when he gets out in god knows how long -

He'll be a monster. 4Now he is just a Curious student of the NanoAge. When he gets' out he'll be hard, angry, and very vengefull. A true danger to society.

...

[ more ] [ reply ]

Pretty sad., 2000-05-14
Anonymous

I personally think it comes down to ignorant and pathetic cops. They are just trying to find a scrapegoat, since they can't find the real person. This guy may have done some script crap, maybe a few real "hacks", but nothing big. If these cops would actually start doing there jobs and taking there w...

[ more ] [ reply ]