Hackers Exploit 911 System, Fake Emergency Calls

Terry Olaes

Terry Olaes

I Used to be the [H] News Guy
Joined
Nov 27, 2006
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4,646
Ok, I’ve seen some pretty lowlife stuff but this has to rank pretty high up there on the scumbag ladder. Apparently there’s an exploit on how the 911 telephone emergency system handles IP phone calls and this hack allows the perpetrator to generate a false call. These calls, dubbed ‘swatters’ because SWAT teams are usually deployed, are basically unstoppable without some system upgrades.

"We're not able to cope with this very well," said Roger Hixson, technical issues director for the National Emergency Number Association, the 911 system's industry group. "We're just hoping this doesn't become a widespread hobby."
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That has to be one of the lamest and most messed up things I have read about. Just... why?
 
Wait, so, there is a vulnerability in a public emergency system and these guys are scumbags for demonstating the flaw and gaining attention of the potential seriousness of it's misuse? :eek:

Terry...seriously...security through obscurity is hardly security at all. Instead of demonizing, perhaps you should be dropping some props. :p
 
havent you ever seen the shield?

they call the cops out to a dark location and when they get there the bad guys just pick em off one by one.

or you call swat out to the other end of the city... and do what you please where your at.
 
Driving Vertigo said:
Terry...seriously...security through obscurity is hardly security at all. Instead of demonizing, perhaps you should be dropping some props. :p
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I could see "dropping some props" if someone did this to demonstrate the limitation. Read how it was abused and tell me if you still think these guys deserve accolades for what they did.
 
Driving Vertigo said:
Wait, so, there is a vulnerability in a public emergency system and these guys are scumbags for demonstating the flaw and gaining attention of the potential seriousness of it's misuse? :eek:

Terry...seriously...security through obscurity is hardly security at all. Instead of demonizing, perhaps you should be dropping some props. :p
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Did you really just say that? The only things I'd be dropping on these lowlifes is the lever on the electric chair.
 
G-fan said:
Did you really just say that? The only things I'd be dropping on these lowlifes is the lever on the electric chair.
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qft


This is not only an epic waste of tax payer money, but this type of thing reduces the seriousness of the situation and misleads emergency personel on a wild goose chase when they could be focusing on real events.

I hope these pricks gets a heart attack and the EMT's are unable to reach them due to responding to a false alarm somewhere else.
 
Messina had made some enemies on a party line he frequented to flirt with women
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this article is full of fail
 
Driving Vertigo said:
Wait, so, there is a vulnerability in a public emergency system and these guys are scumbags for demonstating the flaw and gaining attention of the potential seriousness of it's misuse? :eek:

Terry...seriously...security through obscurity is hardly security at all. Instead of demonizing, perhaps you should be dropping some props. :p
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The shocking thing is this guy is allowed to have as many kids as he wants.
 
Ihaveworms said:
On a side note, I found that one guy was caught with a weapon he wasn't supposed to have as a kinda funny ending.
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Ya, but after 3,4,5 fake 911 calls, can you imagine how hard it might be to get the cops out there in a real emergency? That would suck...still, you have to wonder if the charges should have stuck. The search was under false pretenses and the weapons may not have been linked to the potential crime reported.

There really are some big douchebags out there...good thing I stay hidden in my secret lair.
 
Driving Vertigo said:
Wait, so, there is a vulnerability in a public emergency system and these guys are scumbags for demonstating the flaw and gaining attention of the potential seriousness of it's misuse? :eek:

Terry...seriously...security through obscurity is hardly security at all. Instead of demonizing, perhaps you should be dropping some props. :p
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Yeah dumbass... You mean like most other white hats and informing the proper authorities to the security hole?

Crackers can have a purpose, many of which can be worthwhile... irresponsible actions arent one of them
 
macksomerville said:
Yeah dumbass... You mean like most other white hats and informing the proper authorities to the security hole?

Crackers can have a purpose, many of which can be worthwhile... irresponsible actions arent one of them
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Ya beat me to it, I was gonna say the same. Responsible would be to inform authorities of the security hole adding that fact that, you can arrange for a demonstration if they'd like, prepping them with details of each call that will come in, thereby proving it's no joke.
 
Blast that missing edit button, forgot you have to hit multiquote, was supposet to quote Driving Vertigo too. THat and I hate not being able to go back & edit my grammatical errors.
 
mynamehere said:
Ya beat me to it, I was gonna say the same. Responsible would be to inform authorities of the security hole adding that fact that, you can arrange for a demonstration if they'd like, prepping them with details of each call that will come in, thereby proving it's no joke.
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I agree 100%. I mean really, what's 185 fake 911 calls in the gran scheme of things? It's not like there is any other possible way on informing the emergency services. They really should get some kind of memorable phone number.

In a grisly sounding call to 911, Ellis was putting an Internet-based phone service for the hearing-impaired to nefarious use. By entering bogus information about his location, Ellis was able to make it seem to the 911 operator as if he was calling from inside the Bateses' home. He said he was high on drugs and had just shot his sister.

According to prosecutors, Ellis picked the Bates family at random, as he did with all of the 185 calls investigators say he made to 911 operators around the country.

"If I would have had a gun in my hand, I probably would have been shot," said Doug Bates, 38. Last March, Ellis was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to five felony counts, including computer access and fraud, false imprisonment by violence and falsely reporting a crime.
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Driving Vertigo said:
Wait, so, there is a vulnerability in a public emergency system and these guys are scumbags for demonstating the flaw and gaining attention of the potential seriousness of it's misuse? :eek:

Terry...seriously...security through obscurity is hardly security at all. Instead of demonizing, perhaps you should be dropping some props. :p
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You have to be the dumbest ass in captivity.......

Imagine if it was someone in YOUR immediate family.....you'd be screaming bloody murder and want someones head. How cool is it now? Imagine for one minute that SWAT shot and killed you or one of your family by accident because of this azzhats actions.......still think he'd deserve "props"?......

I think you've earned the award for the dumbest post of 2009.......:rolleyes:.....jackass
 
I've had this happen 3 times last year through my Vonage line. Someone calls and said they needed help and then hangs up. I had to kill my Vonage account because of this.
 
Damn edits. I'd like to add that each time they came out, there were more and more cops that came to my door. Last count was 5 cops.
 
I just read the whole article and let me say that I was a victim of similar fraud phone calls but not as serious as swatting...

My story goes:
I had a MySpace url that somebody wanted, and he found my personal information and sent my local fire dept. to my house. Luckily it wasn't as SERIOUS as swatting but I had 2 fire trucks outside my house waiting to put out an oven fire...
 
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