Who hacked the NZ Herald?

Forums › Off topic › Who hacked the NZ Herald?

nate

6469 posts

Uber Geek

Moderator

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#45604 3-Nov-2009 13:47

nzherald:
Hackers force web poll to close after skewing results

Online polls on the Herald's website nzherald.co.nz have been pulled until further notice after hackers entered the system, skewing the results of three polls.

The polls - which included questions relating to whether people thought Destiny Church was a cult or a church, if people thought it was okay for MP Rodney Hide to take his girlfriend on tour at taxpayers' expense and if people were sick of being told they were ruining the planet - were hacked late last week.

IPs quoted resolve to:

118.92.185.135 - 118-92-185-135.dsl.dyn.ihug.co.nz

118.90.40.97 - ip-118-90-40-97.xdsl.xnet.co.nz

203.109.154.13 - atm1-0-939.akl-grafton-car1.ihug.net

So 'fess up, who was using their Xnet/Vodafone connection to skew the polls??

1 | 2

BDFL - Memuneh
76386 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#269605 3-Nov-2009 13:49

I am surprised the NZ Herald published IP addresses... While some say it's not a persons property it can in some cases be used to identify people.

Please support Geekzone by subscribing, or using one of our referral links: Dosh referral: 00001283 | Sharesies | Goodsync | Mighty Ape | Backblaze

freitasm on Keybase | My technology disclosure

MyHeritage

Shop MyHeritage and uncover your origins and find new relatives with a simple DNA test. (affiliate link).

vexxxboy

4089 posts

Uber Geek

#269608 3-Nov-2009 13:54

i like this quote

"Often most likely it's some kind of 18-year-old guy in a black T-shirt who's bored from looking at the new Google wave [a type of software] product and has decided to take a hack."

ok if its that easy shouldnt the herald be doing something to beef up there security

Common sense is not as common as you think.

rscole86

4756 posts

Uber Geek

Moderator

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#269609 3-Nov-2009 13:56

"Often most likely it's some kind of 18-year-old guy in a black T-shirt who's bored from looking at the new Google wave [a type of software] product and has decided to take a hack."

So does that mean it is, or it is not an 18yo male kid in a black t-shirt. ???

I prefer it for the often most likely... does that double possibility mean that they have no idea? :P

nate

6469 posts

Uber Geek

Moderator

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#269614 3-Nov-2009 14:08

vexxxboy:ok if its that easy shouldnt the herald be doing something to beef up there security

I don't think they got hacked. I think their voting process doesn't do any sort of filtering, and someone wrote a simple script to hit their site with votes. Not really that hard to do.

Paulthagerous

698 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#269630 3-Nov-2009 14:40

nate:
vexxxboy:ok if its that easy shouldnt the herald be doing something to beef up there security

I don't think they got hacked. I think their voting process doesn't do any sort of filtering, and someone wrote a simple script to hit their site with votes. Not really that hard to do.

Paulthagerous

698 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#269631 3-Nov-2009 14:42

Oh, and is it just me or does it sound like he's blaming Wave for the guys actions?

sirfer

1 post

Wannabe Geek

#269633 3-Nov-2009 14:43

that's a pretty awful piece...

calling it an "article" is a stretch...

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
76386 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#269634 3-Nov-2009 14:51

sirfer: calling it an "article" is a stretch...

calling these people "hackers" is a stretch...

Please support Geekzone by subscribing, or using one of our referral links: Dosh referral: 00001283 | Sharesies | Goodsync | Mighty Ape | Backblaze

freitasm on Keybase | My technology disclosure

alkaline

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#269641 3-Nov-2009 15:01

Black t-shirts? Generalize much there Becky...

firewire

107 posts

Master Geek

#269643 3-Nov-2009 15:02

203.109.154.13 - atm1-0-939.akl-grafton-car1.ihug.net

This doesn't look like an end user IP address.

BartManGeek

187 posts

Master Geek

#269661 3-Nov-2009 15:29

No it's one of the Herald's ATM connections....

NonprayingMantis

6434 posts

Uber Geek

#269745 3-Nov-2009 20:26

anyone who takes an online poll seriously is pretty much retarded IMO.
They are self selecting, non-randomised bullcrap, so might as well hack them.

They aren't worth the paper they aren't printed on.

boby55

1539 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#269751 3-Nov-2009 20:33

NonprayingMantis: anyone who takes an online poll seriously is pretty much retarded IMO.
They are self selecting, non-randomised bullcrap, so might as well hack them.

They aren't worth the paper they aren't printed on.

thats why its an online poll :D

Adamal

544 posts

Ultimate Geek

#269795 3-Nov-2009 22:01

freitasm: I am surprised the NZ Herald published IP addresses... While some say it's not a persons property it can in some cases be used to identify people.

The IP or the DNS doesn't really give anything away about an end user. You'd need to contact the ISP with the time it accessed (for those with dynamic IPs) to find out any information about the user.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
76386 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#269804 3-Nov-2009 22:13

Adamal:
freitasm: I am surprised the NZ Herald published IP addresses... While some say it's not a persons property it can in some cases be used to identify people.

The IP or the DNS doesn't really give anything away about an end user. You'd need to contact the ISP with the time it accessed (for those with dynamic IPs) to find out any information about the user.

Unless they are using static IP. But it doesn't matter if these specific IP addresses are static or dynamic. We don't know for a fact which type they are. It's the same as saying "The robbers reside on Madras St, Wellington". If you lived in Madras St, would you like it?

It's not specific enough, but some people might be able to find out...

Please support Geekzone by subscribing, or using one of our referral links: Dosh referral: 00001283 | Sharesies | Goodsync | Mighty Ape | Backblaze

freitasm on Keybase | My technology disclosure

1 | 2