[Hackers forums] Discussion of hacks.

[meteorrock]

Lets start a hackers forums like they used to in the old days

Lets show off a bit and brag about the things we have accomplished on any operating system in the past or what we are working on right now. I think this would be a fun topic for us in here.

As you all know, *tooting my own horn* I picked up some skills up in XDA by lurking up in the forums alot for the device I have still, the nook color. I was introduced to android by wanting a custom build on it for the google playstore, cause apps are not cheap. B&N had limited apps and the apps they had were pricey. So I did my first hack in rooting the nook color with Cyanogenmod at the time. As time progressed I wanted more and more functions for my mobile device, and was drawn to the XDA developers forums up there for different scripts and special kernels you can load into it.

I found out the developers accomplish all of this not on a Windows OS, but on linux. Some of the developers up there MADE linux and knew Richard Stallman. I had to say I was impressed. They slowly taught me how android works and how its is a branch of the linux kernel, with just a framework box running with Java on top of it.

I also found out lots of coding skills are now becoming seldom used. Lots of younger developers are having to be taught just how to use commands in the terminal for simple functions, even on linux. They were spending most of their time teaching instead of developing up in the forums and up in IRC. Debugging skills are becoming a lost art. I am trying to aspire to change that by teaching others my knowledge as I go along. Things are just being ported without knowledge on how to debug the program if something went wrong. Lots of time is being devoided now by the older coders on teaching skills that are becoming lost.


So tell us your story!

TL:DR story time on hacking and development.

Update. I guess Richard Stallman is alive looking over on wikipedia. I will correct.

[xenopeek]

Let's keep this about the love of excellence and programming, as the term hacker is defined by Richard Stallman. I've removed your image that alluded to this being about others kinds of hacking.

I'll refresh everybody's memory on the forum rules, specifically the following bit. Abide by the forum rules please.

[4] No Illegal Material

• Any requests for help pertaining to illicit computer activities is prohibited and will not be supported (i.e., piracy, malicious hacking). Requesting, distributing, or linking illegal material is forbidden.

[Brahim]

I guess we need an amendment Lets call it something else an talk about it!!

[meteorrock]

Lets step it up a notch guys. Awww not my pic. That pic was kool. Made us look like the uber cool kids. The mod was playing hacker games in here in 2009.

I got my git bash fired up. Just found your github fork lol.


I know you guys want to play. Hmmmm how to you submit commits again? OOOO I know.

Here is my github page. https://github.com/meteorrock


Yeah I am a white hat guys. Dont worry I am a good kid. I am sitting on something though.

[xenopeek]

@brahim: We don't need any amendment. There are rules for the forum that work well and to which everyone has to comply .

@meteorrock: you are a member for just a few days.

[xenopeek]

At least I got a github account.

And the github commands are found with google.

If you want to know how the github works I made a mile long blog over at cyanogenmod. You guys have lost your spirit over here. And letting members shove script kiddles around makes a community weak. Your project shows lack of motivation. You treat kids here like idiots. I will hold the right to fork your project.

[xenopeek]

Could you both stop trying to pick a fight with each other? Thanks.

meteorrock, one of the Cinnamon developers, esteban1uy, is younger than you are and respected here much for his work. (See developer of the month section here: http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=2137.) There are other developers not much older than you are. We don't have it out for kids, but you need to abide by the forum rules.

[meteorrock]

He is a boy. He has an unfair advantage with computers.

Comon guys lets post some stories.

[sammiev]

Hi meteorrock, I like what you are doing here and would really like to see a thread about stopping hacks from programs like BackTrack. I used it a few years back and looked it up again. They have come a long way since my last visit. There is some great tips to slow down a WPA2 hack that can now be done in mins or hours now.

Thanks for starting this thread, I will be looking on.

[meteorrock]

I am using the TOR browser bundle right now to stop backtracks.

You can set up the TOR bundle for your linux build, as a girl I have had a few attempts by others trying to sniff out my IP addy. Up in IRC someone was able to pick up the exit node I was using. The developers up in IRC are adamant to know more about me, how I was able to pick up what I know with android, as I have solved a few bugs in the front end for the nook color.

It just takes some time and determination. That is all. There are a few books online I have read, like kernels in a nutshell that are free to read. Since I got an ereader I read on how linux and android works. Anyone could pick up on this. Its not hard, it just takes time, just like studying calculus at school. You are not going to jump from Pre Algebra to advanced caculus in a few days or even a few weeks. Just like what the mod here pointed out, there are now 13 year old gifted individuals learning git. There are free pdf git books online, I included them all in the blog thread I got going down in cyanogenmod.

The commands are what are going to make others shy away from linux. I like the terminal however.

Now this initiation process, I have ran into here and up in IRC, and somewhat when I first started posting on cyanogenmod, THAT will turn others away from wanting to use linux. If someone comes charging in here with a bug fix, HEAR them out. I do up in XDA. DO not care if he is new, from China, or if she is a women. If they can help my project become less bug free, even if they an attitude, I will listen. You have to admit, the most gifted coders are not going to come in with a cutesy, happy and go lucky attitude. Nor should they. They are too busy fixing up others mistakes. So I hope noko is some sort of developer

The ubuntu forums are not like that mostly, they are better moderated and more fast paced. The XDA developers forums are a nice place for others.

The linuxnewbies.org is another good site I am looking over right now.

[bjornmu]

He is a boy. He has an unfair advantage with computers.

What makes you think that? If you're intelligent and interested you should not have a disadvantage. Or is it because it's more "accepted" that boy spend time with computers?

[meteorrock]

He is a boy. He has an unfair advantage with computers.

What makes you think that? If you're intelligent and interested you should not have a disadvantage. Or is it because it's more "accepted" that boy spend time with computers?

How many girls are here? I know of one up in XDA, and she is not a regular. You have maybe 5 over on linuxchix. Not seeing to many girls in the forums. Hopefully that will change. But the older developers were telling me they were expecting that since 1990. It this locker room mentality. I dont care for it much. You guys have been sweet so .....we will let it be for now.

[meteorrock]

Hey guys I am back

Before we get started on kernel hacking lets go over a few things to protect your identity online from the bad hackers. They use tools called "wireshark" and "Cain and Abel" to pick up information out of your header packages you send back and forth from the internet.

How is this done? Each time you go on the internet you send and receive headers in the HTML code that gives away your IP address. These packages sent back and forth on the internet are collected with those tools above.

Just like when you update the apt-get, you will see your headers update in the terminal.

Doing some long time lurking up in different IRC channels the "black hat" hackers get lazy and name drop some of the tools they use to exploit others. I then take those "name dropped" tools and just do a quick google search and start researching these different tools. These tools are hardcore top professional sniffer tools that are supposed to be used by the TOP security experts online. As I need to know more and more about any kind of internet tools, whether they are for good or malicious intent, I do some research. Knowledge is power.


To combat this, and other script kiddies that are made, you can use what is called a proxy, there is a free proxy online that the military uses called TOR. TOR is developed by the best of the best hackers alive today, and they stake their repetition and lives on that program. Top whistleblowers use it along with that wikileaks. They claim it is un-hackable and no one to date that I know of has been able to hack it.

Use the TOR browser bundle unless you know what you are doing in chaining in proxies for your web browser if you want privacy from pervs or stalkers online. Its a bit slow, just change your exit nodes to a fast working one. Here is the link to this site. It is also a open source site on the github for others to look over the code. Coders online tell me there is no "backdoor" to this program, and I have reviewed the code also. So give it a try if someone is pushing you around. https://www.torproject.org/

I will be back in here in a day or two with some other tips I have picked on kernel hacks and other web related hacks.

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Another trick is to change your IP address on your router. Here in the United States most routers use what is called a "dynamic IP address" , which is provided to you by your ISP (Internet service Provider.)
To change it you just power off your router and turn it back on. There are ways to do this in the terminal, but I have not figured it out yet. Your ISP will then send you a NEW dynamic IP address that is now different than the one before.

So if you get someone going hurrrrrrrr durrrrrrrrrr I got your IP address, now I am going to "dox".....and they say they know your street address and where you live, durrr now you are going to be my wifey or whatever, rest assured they do not have squat. You can check your IP address online here if you want. Give it a go and see. http://www.whatismyip.com/

IRC is notorious for lax protection from these kind of exploits. Make sure you are using a IRC "bouncer" or a socks proxy when you go in there. Check the settings on your IRC client if it has socks proxy support.

[bjornmu]

Well, I don't see a need for me to hide my IP address. Should I need to do that when visiting some web page, I can do it from the browser I have running within the VM connected to the corporate VPN. Then any web server will see me coming from some UK address. Of course, corporate IT could probably trace it....

Changing the IP address can be done by disconnecting using the web interface to the router, but that would break open connections. A former collegue working from home in Berlin was rather pissed at his ISP which would automatically do that every 24 hours. I'm glad mine doesn't.

[Brahim]

meteorrock I'm using JonDo + JonDoFox. Is that enough for anonymous and secure web surfing?

Check this https://anonymous-proxy-servers.net/en/jondofox.html

[sammiev]

I use bind9 and a VPN. For wireless Internet other things should be done to prevent a hack of your wireless system.

[meteorrock]

Some use a paid VPN to be safe online. I think if you do some research on them and find a respectable VPN that does not keep logs of its users, you are good. Thanks for those other suggestions guys

Somehow the developers up in XDA were able to use these tools for good intentions to look for memory leaks and buffer overflows in their own builds. "Snort" is another tool I saw name dropped. They were having wake lock problems with the nook color causing Screens of Death that was related to the wi fi, and they were scanning their own packets looking for memory leaks that way. Very smart.

These tools need to have memory leaks or buffer overflows from your android or linux builds to work. The developers also use these tools to look over their own software builds they do for others.

~~~~~~~~~

Most people do not care about hiding their idenity online, they figure if they have done nothing wrong, they have nothing to hide. Google though uses all of this information to bombard you with adds and email and other spam junk.

Some tools online can go over your photos and use what is called EXIF data and back trace you to pick up information on you. "Tinyeye" is one tool that does this. That is why I never opened a facebook account or other social media website account, even though my less knowledgeable friends love those sites. I just say I don't like the drama and be one of those kids that play it smart.

They use that information from photos you post online of yourself and on facebook to find more about you. They get monies that way. I had one member wanting me to constantly upload a different photo of myself and asking me to start up my facebook.

I think some of the developers had a crush on me and fell in love with me. However it could of been for more sinister purposes. You never know with people.

[meteorrock]

Lets continue.

Then when they found an expliot in the builds they were working on, instead of just keeping it to themselves they would record what happened using a logcat on their builds and let the other developers know about it. AND they would try to fix it and make changes on their githubs.

Kind of a kool story huh guys?

Lets go over how you can open up a logcat on your linux builds here.

Anyone want to help us along with our lessons with debugging Linux Mint?

[bjornmu]

I think you're being a bit paranoid. Google can't track where you've been at least as long as you're not logged in to gmail or something while you surf. I always log straight out when I've used the web interface for gmail. And google doesn't send spam! Nor do they increase the number of ads you get except maybe on their own sites.

I'm not on Facebook either but I have fixed two bugs for them. Not kidding, but quite minor stuff.

EXIF? It's not like your address and phone number is stored there. But location might be if taken with a smart phone or GPS enabled camera. Otherwise it's things like time and camera settings. For all I know, maybe smart phones can add more but pictures from a "normal" camera can't include things the camera doesn't know. And my camera has no idea who I am. It's easy to get rid of EXIF anyway.

[meteorrock]

Well it is a hackers forum here. You guys are just tooo serious, LOL. Its a creepy bedtime story for you guys

Well, I am not too paranoid but you guys are not girls huh?

It kind of depends if the tools I want to use will hurt performance on my machine, you can load up on tons of privacy tools and it will just lag you down. If you know about them though, why not just use them? It does not hurt anything. Some think you do not even need an antivirus on linux, but there are still 48 known viruses for linux. And most antivirus help protect against malware, which is the real threat on linux I suppose.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seriously though, how do you guys go about wanting to debug and help the developers here on linux mint? I am used to using the Android debug bridge, the android Eclipse program from google and other so called "white box" developers tools. I know there are commands to debug in the terminal on linux. I would like to learn if you want to show me