WebTV hacker charged as a terrorist under Patriot Act - GoFuckYourself.com

ibuydomains · 03-01-2004, 12:07 AM

FBI agents arrested a Louisiana man last week under the cyberterrorism provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act for allegedly tricking a handful of MSN TV users into running a malicious e-mail attachment that reprogrammed their set-top boxes to dial 9-1-1 emergency response.

According to prosecutors, David Jeansonne, 43, was targeting 18 specific MSN TV users in an online squabble when he crafted the script in July 2002, and sent it out disguised as a tool to change the colors on MSN TV's user interface. Though the code didn't mass-mail itself to others, some of the recipients were sufficiently fooled that they forwarded it to friends, for a total of 21 victims.

Known as WebTV before it was acquired by Microsoft, MSN TV works with television set-top boxes to allow users to surf the Web and send and receive e-mail without using a PC.

The boxes connect to the Internet through a local dial-up number. The malicious script changed the dial-up to 9-1-1. If a victim didn't go online again after being infected, the box would summon help anyway when it tried to make an automatic daily call to the network at midnight.

The code also crossmailed itself to the 18 targeted users, so it would appear in some cases to have come from someone the victim knew. Additionally, it posted victims' browser histories to a particular website, and e-mailed their hardware serial number to the free webmail account "[email protected]."

According to an FBI affidavit filed in the case, Jeansonne was undone when cyber sleuths at Microsoft's MSN unit searched e-mail logs and found that the "Timmy" account had previously sent beta versions of the malware to Jeansonne's MSN TV account. Microsoft pillaged Jeansonne's e-mail, and found messages between him and an online friend that suggested Jeansonne was responsible for the hack. In December, the FBI raided his home and seized his computers.

Jeansonne is charged under a provision of the federal computer crime statute added in the 2001 USA PATRIOT Act, and intended to address what the act calls "cyberterrorism." The amended law dispenses with the requirement that a computer crime cause at least $5,000 in damage to qualify as a federal felony in cases where the attack caused "a threat to public health or safety."

Playing it safe, prosecutors included a second count in the indictment charging Jeansonne with causing over $5,000 in damage.

According to court records, the hack resulted in police responding 10 times to false alarms at subscribers' homes, either in person, or by phoning them back. It's unclear what happened to the other 11 calls to 9-1-1.

http://www.securityfocus.com/news/8136

Definitely a crime... but a terrorist act?????

IPK · 03-01-2004, 12:08 AM

prosecutors try to get criminals under everything they can, just in case, and if the patriot act fits, then they'll go for it

sucks though

jasonir · 03-01-2004, 12:10 AM

The name of that act is ironic.

Join the ACLU.

jollyperv · 03-01-2004, 12:28 AM

Hahaha webtv, man that's some white trash shit.

Shoehorn! · 03-01-2004, 12:29 AM

Wow. Sucks for that guy.

Chaldoray · 03-01-2004, 12:55 AM

Trippekdick · 03-01-2004, 01:18 AM

Ludedude · 03-01-2004, 02:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jasonir
The name of that act is ironic.

Join the ACLU.

Funny how all manner of criminals, with the exception of actual terrorists, have been charged under the "patriot" act.

hoe_vender · 03-01-2004, 03:36 AM

good stuff

Krille · 03-01-2004, 03:39 AM

how many people did he kill?

ibuydomains · 03-01-2004, 03:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by hoe_vender
good stuff

you're dumb

Steve W · 03-01-2004, 03:46 AM

hmmm.... that's not cool at all. I take it as a terrorist threat too. If it emailed itself and spreaded then that really wouldn't be good... Think about 911 numbers being busy

03-01-2004, 12:07 AM	#1
ibuydomains Confirmed User Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 710	WebTV hacker charged as a terrorist under Patriot Act FBI agents arrested a Louisiana man last week under the cyberterrorism provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act for allegedly tricking a handful of MSN TV users into running a malicious e-mail attachment that reprogrammed their set-top boxes to dial 9-1-1 emergency response. According to prosecutors, David Jeansonne, 43, was targeting 18 specific MSN TV users in an online squabble when he crafted the script in July 2002, and sent it out disguised as a tool to change the colors on MSN TV's user interface. Though the code didn't mass-mail itself to others, some of the recipients were sufficiently fooled that they forwarded it to friends, for a total of 21 victims. Known as WebTV before it was acquired by Microsoft, MSN TV works with television set-top boxes to allow users to surf the Web and send and receive e-mail without using a PC. The boxes connect to the Internet through a local dial-up number. The malicious script changed the dial-up to 9-1-1. If a victim didn't go online again after being infected, the box would summon help anyway when it tried to make an automatic daily call to the network at midnight. The code also crossmailed itself to the 18 targeted users, so it would appear in some cases to have come from someone the victim knew. Additionally, it posted victims' browser histories to a particular website, and e-mailed their hardware serial number to the free webmail account "[email protected]." According to an FBI affidavit filed in the case, Jeansonne was undone when cyber sleuths at Microsoft's MSN unit searched e-mail logs and found that the "Timmy" account had previously sent beta versions of the malware to Jeansonne's MSN TV account. Microsoft pillaged Jeansonne's e-mail, and found messages between him and an online friend that suggested Jeansonne was responsible for the hack. In December, the FBI raided his home and seized his computers. Jeansonne is charged under a provision of the federal computer crime statute added in the 2001 USA PATRIOT Act, and intended to address what the act calls "cyberterrorism." The amended law dispenses with the requirement that a computer crime cause at least $5,000 in damage to qualify as a federal felony in cases where the attack caused "a threat to public health or safety." Playing it safe, prosecutors included a second count in the indictment charging Jeansonne with causing over $5,000 in damage. According to court records, the hack resulted in police responding 10 times to false alarms at subscribers' homes, either in person, or by phoning them back. It's unclear what happened to the other 11 calls to 9-1-1. http://www.securityfocus.com/news/8136 Definitely a crime... but a terrorist act?????

03-01-2004, 12:08 AM	#2
IPK Confirmed User Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 4,209	prosecutors try to get criminals under everything they can, just in case, and if the patriot act fits, then they'll go for it sucks though __________________ DomainerResource.com strategies for monetizing and investing in domain names...

03-01-2004, 12:29 AM	#5
Shoehorn! Die With Your Boots On Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Hawaii Posts: 22,872	Wow. Sucks for that guy. __________________

03-01-2004, 03:36 AM	#9
hoe_vender Confirmed User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 2,018	good stuff __________________ ICQ #286508534

03-01-2004, 12:10 AM	#3
jasonir Confirmed User Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Toro'no Posts: 1,887	The name of that act is ironic. Join the ACLU.

03-01-2004, 12:28 AM	#4
jollyperv Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: NYC Posts: 3,927	Hahaha webtv, man that's some white trash shit.

03-01-2004, 12:55 AM	#6
Chaldoray Confirmed User Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 2,868

03-01-2004, 01:18 AM	#7
Trippekdick Confirmed User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,756	cool

03-01-2004, 03:39 AM	#10
Krille Confirmed User Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Bangkok Posts: 2,436	how many people did he kill?

03-01-2004, 03:46 AM	#12
Steve W Confirmed User Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 606	hmmm.... that's not cool at all. I take it as a terrorist threat too. If it emailed itself and spreaded then that really wouldn't be good... Think about 911 numbers being busy