Police swoop on 'Hacker of the Year'

AcidAUS writes "The Swedish hacker, Dan Egerstad, who perpetrated the so-called hack of the year, has been arrested in a dramatic raid on his apartment, during which he was taken in for questioning and several of his computers confiscated. Egerstad broke into the global communications network used by embassies around the world in August and gained access to 1000 sensitive email accounts."

"Broke in?"

[Evangelion (2145)]

I thought he just listened in on Tor traffic.

Re:"Broke in?"

[hsdpa (1049926)]

He did, and that's what's so stupid about this police-raid.

Re:"Broke in?"

[TigerTime (626140)]

There's a guy down the street from where I work that had a bullhorn talking about the end of the world. I completely hacked into his message this morning.

Well, that's what you get

[Lally Singh (3427)]

90% of what makes a really good hack hard is STFU'ing about it.

Re:Well, that's what you get

[luvirini (753157)]

That is the point authohorities all over the world seem to be making... Do not report Security flaws.

If you notice a security flaw and are quiet about it nothing happens.

If you notice a securoty flaw and report it you get charged for hacking.

Guess what happens in future...

Re:Well, that's what you get

[Praedon (707326)]

There was an article a while back on slashdot, that mentioned about this guy who found a way to duplicate boarding passes for an airline... before he published the information to the internet, he contacted his congressman, which did nothing about it.. but then published how to do it, and the template to the internet. He was then considered a "terrorist" and I have heard nothing more about him.

Re:

[olddotter (638430)]

So your saying his government is made up of morons?

Re:Well, that's what you get

[Opportunist (166417)]

No, but of people with a one track mind. He who knows how to break the law breaks the law, since if he didn't mean to break the law, he wouldn't know how to do it. He who finds a security hole must have been looking for a security hole, and the only reason to look for a security hole is to use it.

Another train of thought follows the logic that what is forbidden does not exist. And if it exists, simply crack down with utmost force on it, and it ceases to exist.

The core fallacy about it is that this doesn't mean crimes don't happen, it just means you won't hear about them. Which is, for the statistic, identical. It's a bit like closing your eyes and pretending that since you can't see the problem it doesn't exist.

Re:

[Jarjarthejedi (996957)]

*Sticks fingers in ears and closes eyes*

LALALALALA I can't hear you!

Re:Well, that's what you get

[Billosaur (927319)]

No more than anybody else's... listen, the guy just exposed a major security flaw that has an impact on diplomatic communications all over the world. On the one hand, the guy's doing a job no one else thought to do, and to let governments know that their secrets are easily tapped. Governments should be funding his work, to see if he can come up with a solution to the problem. But being governments, they're a bit paranoid (even the Swedes) and heavy-handed. This guys knows about a security vulnerability -- what else does he know? So they drag him in and give him the "treatment".

Re:Well, that's what you get

[boyfaceddog (788041)]

You can't really blame the governments for their response. Most agencies are only authorized to punish citizens, not ask them for help.

Remember the Air Force Axiom; when the only tool you have is a multi-warhead thermo-nuclear ICBM, all your problems look like the Soviets invading West Germany.

Re:Well, that's what you get

[bytesex (112972)]

A bit too paranoid. He was told to shut up about it, but nothing happened to him. It was a journalist who'd found out that if you made two boarding passes at home, one in his own name (not conspicuous) and one in the name of Osama Bin Laden, and you switched bottom barcodes on them, you could get Osama on the plane. Or something. Apparently, the two barcodes are read at different stations, and only the first one checks for identity (but not the no fly list), and the second one checks for the no fly list (but not the identity). Or something.

Re:

[camperdave (969942)]

That's because he printed himself up a boarding pass to a non extradition country before publishing to the net.

Re:Well, that's what you get

[Opportunist (166417)]

And what did we learn today? Don't report a security hole, sell it to Russia.

Re:

[Praedon (707326)]

I completely agree... some of the best hacks in the world happened without anyone ever even knowing except the person who did it... He just had the balls to take credit for it... I don't know if in Sweden they brand hackers terrorists or not, like in the U.S., but if they do, he could be in a lot of trouble.

I have a prediction about this guy... what's going to happen in about 5-10 years, is he will end up writing articles like other hacker sellouts that we know.

Re:Well, that's what you get

[_14k4 (5085)]

I think the "sellout" part of those hackers is actually the part that grew up and realized (real - as mentioned above)hacking is not a way to support a family - and it will always be a hobby. As it should be, no?

Re:

[techpawn (969834)]

First rule of true hacking... You don't talk about Hacking! Second rule of Hacking... YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT HACKING!

That's why people just assume Crackers are Hackers... Crackers talk, Hackers know better...

It was just tor eavesdropping!

[sanermind (512885)]

All he did was run a tor exit node, and observe the outgoing traffic, a known possibility when using tor. Not only is there the disclaimer "This is experimental software. Do not rely on it for strong anonymity" evertime you run tor, but this vector of potential attack is so bloody obvious that anyone not aware of would be a bloody idiot not to use additional encryption for accessing sensitive information on the other end, and rely on tor only for obfuscation of the fact that the route originates from them.

MOD PARENT UP

[MadMidnightBomber (894759)]

The guy did not 'break into' anything - he dumped passwords as they flowed through HIS tor exit node. Tor obfuscates the origin, it does not encrypt the traffic for you. The summary is very, very wrong.

Re:It was just tor eavesdropping!

[KokorHekkus (986906)]

All he did was run a tor exit node, and observe the outgoing traffic...

And that could very likely be construed as eavesdropping on electronic communications. The Swedish penal code, 4th chapter, 8th paragraph, says:

8 Den som olovligen bereder sig tillgång till ett meddelande, som ett post- eller telebefordringsföretag förmedlar som postförsändelse eller telemeddelande, döms för brytande av post- eller telehemlighet till böter eller fängelse i högst två år.

Which translates to approximatly:

The person who gains access to a message, that a postal or telecommunications company transmits, as a postal or telecommuncations message, is to be sentened for exposure of postal or telecommuncations secret to fines or a maximum of two years prison.

Swedish laws are a bit laconic so that's the full text. I'm not really surprised that the police decide to start an investigation since what he did could be legal - it's not a clear cut case. Obviously the message were not ment for him and he didn't come by them by accident. Word to the wise: better read up on the laws where are if you're going to pull something like this. If it's in the gray area be prepared to investigated.

Re:

[KokorHekkus (986906)]

As I said this is a gray area. Maybe he could argue that but on the other hand I'd be surprised if telcoms are allowed to snoop as they wish in Sweden but they certainly can't go around repeating my communcations at will. So the bigger problem could be that he not only did snoop but he also disseminated it publicly. Without being a legal scholar I'd say it's fairly obvious that the intent with the law was to preserve the privacy of the commmuncating parties messages.

Maybe it would be better to argue that

Re:

[zappepcs (820751)]

I disagree. Listening outside your bedroom requires physical presence on your property. He committed no such act. In fact, what he did was no more incriminating than you putting a packet analyzer on your Internet connection in your living room. If you happen to hear some music on a radio station that was played without royalty payments, are you guilty of copyright infringement?

Had he only claimed to have the login credentials, it might not seem so bad, but he has made his point in spectacular fashion. The r

I don't know why is he surprised

[someone1234 (830754)]

He fucked the police states, so the police bit back.
He is lucky not to be in russia or china or cold war US so he got no bullet in his head.

Access credentials were sent through his node!

[JackHoffman (1033824)]

broke into the global communications network used by embassies around the world in August and gained access to 1000 sensitive email accounts

He acquired access credentials to 1000 email accounts used by embassies. He did so by becoming an exit node of the TOR anonymizing network and reading the unencrypted exit traffic. That may have been in violation of the law, but does not constitute "breaking into the global communications network used by embassies".

What a moron!

[Pedrito (94783)]

Look, I don't know if the guy actually broke any laws. It sounds like he might have, but maybe not. On the other hand, intentionally trying to fuck with the police after they arrested him is plain stupid. It doesn't buy you anything except bad will. It's not like the people interrogating him are the ones that made the decision to arrest him. You get pulled in by the police, if you're really not guilty, the only smart thing to do is cooperate. Creating that kind of bad will and then complaining that you might not get your computer equipment back for years, well what do you expect? Shit on people and expect them to shit on you back.

Re:

[nfractal (1039722)]

Well, its already been discussed here pretty much at length and as for taking credit and messing with the police.. i believe he's being plain stupid. Taking credit for a hack and reporting it does NOT mean publishing the entire list of access credentials online. Could have just reported and left to fend for themselves. Dramatic is it ? well he was the one looking for drama in the first place. nf

Re:

[by Anonymous Coward]

You get pulled in by the police, if you're really not guilty, the only smart thing to do is cooperate.

I disagree with that. Get an independent lawyer FIRST! They could be just looking for a goat, and you were fingered. Police generally know so little about computers, and would only look at a geek as a sub-species. The more you talk, the more it can be twisted.

RIAA for example. Your PC could have been hijacked. No mater what you say you will be viewed as guilty unless you're lucky enough there is eno

Re:

[Lazy Jones (8403)]

On the other hand, intentionally trying to fuck with the police after they arrested him is plain stupid. It doesn't buy you anything except bad will. It's not like the people interrogating him are the ones that made the decision to arrest him. You get pulled in by the police, if you're really not guilty, the only smart thing to do is cooperate.

Actually, no. There must be limits to the criminal acts of the police one should feel compelled to show good will with. He may be a fool because he feels confident

Re:

[UncleTogie (1004853)]

Creating that kind of bad will and then complaining that you might not get your computer equipment back for years, well what do you expect?

He might not get the PC back working at ALL.

A client of mine had to give a medical server over for discovery in an insurance case. After much "analysis" {which turned out to be a bunch of guessing} they returned the box 6 months later... minus hard drive. To this day, neither the insurance company nor "expert witness" will admit that they lost 10 years of patient info and charting.

Stories like this kill me. If we had a better-informed society, the call wouldn't be "get the hacker!"... It'd be "get the i

"Broke into"

[dr_d_19 (206418)]

Dan didn't break into anything. He simply set up a Tor node and watches the traffic passing. Most likely the passwords he sniffed out were not used by Embassy officials but by criminal elements who were using Tor to avoid being caught when using stolen credentials.

Also, he notified the involved embassies weeks before publishing the material.

I not saying it was a stupid move (I think it was) but the summary makes him look like a criminal which he is most certainly not. The Swedish police does not understand IT and obviously does whatever foreign countries tell them to do since our political leaders lacks spines.

Just what is he?

[Billosaur (927319)]

From the article, paragraph 1:

The Swedish hacker who perpetrated the so-called hack of the year...

From the article, paragraph 2:

Dan Egerstad, a security consultant, intercepted data carried over a global communications network...

Emphasis mine. So what is he? If he's a hacker, the raid is just desserts. If he's a security consultant, and he's exposed this flaw, he's being persecuted. Frankly, I don't know what he really is, but it seems like the press is schizophrenic on this issue. It just goes to show that when it comes to technology, the mainstream press is a bit low on clarity and high on sensationalism.

Re:Just what is he?

[bcattwoo (737354)]

Emphasis mine. So what is he? If he's a hacker, the raid is just desserts. If he's a security consultant, and he's exposed this flaw, he's being persecuted. Frankly, I don't know what he really is, but it seems like the press is schizophrenic on this issue. It just goes to show that when it comes to technology, the mainstream press is a bit low on clarity and high on sensationalism.

If a locksmith breaks into your home by picking your locks, he is still a burglar.

Re:

[Billosaur (927319)]

I don't usually reply to my own stuff, but here's Wired's report on the raid and what Egerstad actually did [wired.com].

Dramatic Raid indeed

[Zedrick (764028)]

I live a few hundred meters from his home, and was woken up that day, not by my useless alarm clock, but by sirens from 7 or 8 police cars heading in the direction of his apartment. From the TFA it seems like the were a bit more discreet when moving in on him, so I guess this was some kind of show of force to intimidate him, and his neighbours. Wouldn't surprise me, considering how the TPB-raid was done.

so... the criminal cops in sweden want to hack too

[Lazy Jones (8403)]

looks like those illegally acting cops just wanted a cheap way of getting their sweaty hands on Egerstad's code. It would be so cool to be able to spy on all those foreign guys, eh?

A dramatic raid...

[east coast (590680)]

[knock at the door]

Police: Open this door! Thou art a felon wanted for many counts of villainy against the citizenry of this fair nation!

Dan: How now!? Am I to be jailed? What can I do but beg for the mercy of The Crown?!?!

[Dan weeps loudly]
[Viola music plays a sad song in the background]
[Dan slumps over a b0x3n]

Dan: I am ruined. Farewell, my tools of crime, for you are sure to meet a worse fate than I in our common traitorous endeavors.

[The door breaks in, an officer enters the room and grabs Dan by the shoulder with nightstick in hand]
[Fades to black]

Oh, you mean a different kind of dramatic. Sorry, sorry.

This was NOT a hack.

[miffo.swe (547642)]

This guy is a very good security consultant that has been around for a while. This is not the first leak he has discovered and tried to warn people, Dan discovered that his home DSL was going slow and started sniffing out the traffic from his ISP. He quickly discovered that the ISP sent him traffic from about 4000 other customers on 16 different subnets! He could see everything on the network. This very time he had setup a tor link and started sniffing out the traffic, just as NSA does in the US on their large tor links. What he found was countless passwords and other sensitive stuff floating around. He found large amounts of usernames and password floating by all the time. No doubt this was from a hacker/foreign security intelligence that used tor for anynomity. The fact that most passwords was from governments like Iran, Russia and other countries not in the US "group" suggests this was US spying in progress. The fact that Swedish "Säpo" (intelligence is not the right word for theese people) was pressured into action against something thats not a crime at all in sweden also makes one wonders what is going on. It seems people are dissatisfied that this leak was made public. I doubt the people being hacked was miffed at Dan for showing them that someone was spying on them. Now that they know and secure their communications, maybe with stringent encryption and backdoor free open source, i do now one country that will be angry.

Re:Good.

[spleen_blender (949762)]

And my faith in humanity drops to yet another record low.

I'm getting sick of a society that has ZERO room for exceptions. Make exceptions for the exceptional... that is why they are exceptional.

Although listening to TOR traffic is hardly exceptional, but the point he proved without malicious intent was.

Re:Good.

[Nos. (179609)]

"Egerstad published 100 of the email accounts, including login details and passwords, on his website for anyone curious enough to have a look"
Publishing login credentials of 100 accounts isn't what I'd call without malicious intent. Okay, he was trying to force them to react, but there are better ways of doing it.

Re:

[spleen_blender (949762)]

Agreed, but these kind of cases should not ever be treated in the same way terrorism suspects are, or any other significant crime. It is ridiculous when I think back on the things I could be arrested for in the eyes of these people and the kind of suffering I would endure, and then compare that to the suffering I have forced on others. It is obscene to treat them like common criminals, because they are obviously not common.

Your good natured intent is clouding your thinking

[NDPTAL85 (260093)]

Diplomats are often dealing with people seeking asylum for humanitarian reasons. They also deal with local and international law enforcement and sometimes the military. In any one of those cases leaked information could have gotten someone killed. This guy didn't expose the logins and passwords of MySpace accounts. Then there's the consideration that he very well may have violated several privacy/confidentiality laws as well.

I don't think you realize just how serious what this guy did is.

Re:

[Elemenope (905108)]

Is sniffing tor packets illegal? Clue me in.

Yes it's illegal

[emj (15659)]

I would think so, of course as long as no one can probe you are doing it, it should be fine. If you lend you computer to someone and sniff his traffic, that's going to be illegal, same thing. The question is if your intent is to inform people, does that make it less illegal. Of course it does, now being called a hacker certainly doesn't help.

Information wants to be free.

Re:

[rasjani (97395)]

Depends.. Whats in the package?

Re:Good.

[Opportunist (166417)]

A law is not to be observed blindly. A law is to be questioned to test it against real life requirements. If people would not question laws, people would still be enslaved because of the color of their skin and the US would still be a colony of Britain.

Re:Good.

[celtic_hackr (579828)]

I won't delineate all the reasons why what you said is a stupid troll.

But here's a few gems for you.

1) He became a tor node.
2) All the data he examined was on his own computers.
3) Everything on the computers belonged to him.
4) As a responsible tor node person, he examined the contents of it.
5) Refer to number 3. Also in the US, he could be found responsible for
      people using his tor node to traffic in say copyrighted works or child
      abuse. So he would really pretty much HAVE to inspect the contrents of
      his traffic to make sure that no illegal activity was taking place.
6) What law is it you think he broke?

Re:

[Professor_UNIX (867045)]

Crackers break the copyright protection on computer software. Hackers use their skills to find weaknesses in the security of software, hardware, and networks. Those that exploit them for malicious purposes are black hat hackers and those that report them to the proper people so the vulnerabilities can be fixed are white hat hackers. Script kiddies are ones that take programs written by bad hackers and just run them without actually comprehending what they're doing other than the fact that they've owned a

Re:

[Deanalator (806515)]

He hacked NOTHING. He sat on a tor exit node with dsniff. You can do that setup in minutes (I used to run driftnet-gtk on my tor exit node for kicks). He noticed a large amount of dumbasses using email with no encryption, and wanted it to stop ASAP, so he released the info.

Re:

[Lazy Jones (8403)]

Personally, Egerstad sounds like the kind of a sanctimonious dick that SHOULD get the beatdown. They should give him "every known signal" that the police don't like it when when someone is lying to them...tasers, nightstick, whatever.

Personally, you sound like the kind of guy the police should protect us from. Too bad that they don't seem to get people with better morals for their own ranks.

Re:

[Opportunist (166417)]

You don't read news and media altogether too often. Let me clue you in:

Hacker is someone who does illegal stuff with a computer. People have seen sneakers and swordfish, so they know the term and know it's some computer guy that does illegal stuff. So hacker is it.