Farewell, Cap'n Crunch

Doubletrouble tells us that it's not long for the world, killed by pressure from the Nanny State.  Now, I must admit that I was never a big fan, even as a kid.  I also must cop to the charge that I hate the dang meddling Gubmint - my body, my self!

Still, it reminded me of an early security post that I did here - I'd only been blogging for maybe 2 weeks or so.  And it involves Cap'n Crunch.  So as an homage to Doubletrouble's eagle eye (not to mention ability to make my blood pressure spike), here's the intersection of security and breakfast cereal.

------------------- Repost from July 2008 ------------------

Airline security: smart or not?

Not.

Bruce posts about some idiots that want to set up an Invisible Fence in a commercial airliner and give y'all a shock collar:

The bracelets remain inactive until a hijacking situation has been identified. At such time a designated crew member will activate the bracelets making them capable of delivering the punitive measure - but only to those that need to be restrained.

Bruce makes great points about qui custodiet ipsoes custodes, ending with the Question Of The Day:

I mean, what could POSSIBLY go wrong?

Well, Bruce, as a Full Service blog covering security issues, let me count the ways:

• Listen in on private communications sent via wireless? Check.
• Send Way Too Much electrical energy through the air via a directional antenna? Check.
• Figure out how to use "sooper sekret" wireless commands to reprogram medical equipment that can hurt or kill someone? Check.

I'm just waiting for those crazy kidz at Defcon to make a homebrew airline "Shock 'o Matic" for everyone to take home on the flight from Vegas. Don't believe me? Follow the link: "Real time social networking for Ninjas". Cool time. Check out the lockpicking and hardware hacking sessions.

Let me close with a story from the Old Days of computer security - so old, it was even before my time (yes, kids, it's true!).

This man called himself Cap'n Crunch:


The reason is that he figured out that he could program the long distance telephone switches (remember, kids, these are computers) to give him free long distance calls. This was back when long distance was muy expensive.

How did he reprogram the switches? What specialized hax0R tools did he need? This:

That's right, the prize in the cereal box.

How on earth was this possible? Well, it mostly boiled down to:

• "What if someone tries to ..."
• "Don't worry. Nobody would ever try that."
• "Besides, how ever would they get a whistle that plays precisly 2600 Hz/figure out the right combination of bits to beam via a laser"?

Of course, nobody who says anything like this has ever been to Defcon. Remember, kids, don't try this at home!

So Bruce, the answer to your question is "more than you can possibly imagine."

UPDATE, 7/10/2008 19:24: Looks like this is busted. Seems that someone proposed this to the TSA a while back, and the TSA said "thanks but no thanks." I still stand by the assertion that whoever proposed it had never been to Defcon.

------------------- /Repost from July 2008 ------------------

Yes, I'm a lazy blogger, digging up almost three year old posts.  Why do you ask?