Hackers Get Free Parking In San Francisco 221
Hugh Pickens writes "PC World reports that at the Black Hat security conference this week, security researchers say that it is pretty easy for a technically savvy hacker to make a fake payment card that gives them unlimited free parking on San Francisco's smart parking meter system. 'It wasn't technically complicated and the fact that I can do it in three days means that other people are probably already doing it and probably taking advantage of it,' says Joe Grand. 'It seems like the system wasn't analyzed at all.' To figure out how the payment system worked, Grand hooked up an oscilloscope to a parking meter and monitored what happened when he used a genuine payment card. Grand discovered the cards aren't digitally signed, and the only authentication between the meter and card is a password sent from the former to the latter. Examining the meters themselves could yield additional vulnerabilities that might allow someone to conduct other kinds of attacks, such as propagating a virus from meter to meter via the smart cards or a meter minder's PDA."
l0pht (Score:5, Informative)
For reference, Joe Grand is one of the members of the l0pht hacker group that were announced to be making a comeback [url=http://news.slashdot.org/story/09/07/26/167251/Hacker-Group-L0pht-Making-a-Comeback?art_pos=1]here[/url]
security through obscurity (Score:2, Informative)
Cool? I dunno, it's pretty simple really. Here's the C source code [grandideastudio.com] for the hack. Basically he's just programming a smart card with a value of $999.99, and then asking the meter for the password, which it seems more than happy to provide for some reason.
IOW, the meters are simply using security through obscurity, which is the same as no security at all.
Re:Free parking! Just uh.. oh crap. (Score:1, Informative)
If you click the second link in the summary your question will be answered...
Re:"other people are probably already doing it" (Score:4, Informative)
That's what you get for reading the press release... Here [grandideastudio.com] is the original site; here [grandideastudio.com] is the code.
Re:Parking Meter Botnet (Score:5, Informative)
what was wrong with coin operated meters? Why do they need computers?
Crimanal gangs target coin operated metres. For instance [blogs.com], "Cashless parking was trialled in Westminster [London] in October 2006 and in early 2007 the decision was taken to extend cashless parking city [of Westminster] wide. One of the primary drivers was the estimated £120,000 per week being lost to organised crime. Organised crime which led to murder on the streets of Westminster." (The murder was after one gang started taking the money from meters in another gang's "territory").
A metal detector under the parking space and a camera nearby, and the computer could automatically issue a ticket (or automatically bill for the correct duration). And tell drivers how many spaces are available.
Re:The usual solution (Score:3, Informative)
Re:The usual solution (Score:2, Informative)
The paper lists many attack vectors which could be used against more advanced meters. Hacking the San Francisco system required only a smart card "shim", which extends the contacts to a legitimate card outside the meter, and a portable oscilloscope or logic analyzer for recording the communication between the meter and the legitimate card. The trivial protocol was then implemented on a programmable smart card. This is in reach of most electronic hobbyists and requires no dangerous materials or tools.
Re:The meter pays for... (Score:4, Informative)
Credit card companies tend to charge a prohibitive percentage for small transactions.
Seattle seems to have worked out a deal with them. All of the parking meters here accept credit cards.
Re:Free parking! Just uh.. oh crap. (Score:3, Informative)