All Visitors to Sochi Olympics Immediately Hacked [video]

http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/54273832/#54273832

by Mc_Big_G • 12 years ago

23 21 12 years ago

nbcnews.com

gopher12• 12 years ago

I'm sure we can expect more anti-Russia propaganda during these Olympics.

Not that it's hard to find worthy things to criticize about them, but it's funny to see what the media focuses on.

doe88• 12 years ago

Exactly, not defending Russia, but in France too there is a dominant negative biais on how these Olympics are reported in the medias so far.

BryanB55• 12 years ago

Does anyone know why or where the negative bias comes from?

NathanKP2• 12 years ago

Assuming this isn't just FUD, I want to see some more details about the devices used, whether they were properly patched with the latest security updates, and also some details about the attack vectors. Sure if you are searching the web and visiting sketchy websites that are hosting malware using an unpatched device with no security updates installed you are probably going to have a bad time. But that's the case in the US too, and not a distinctly Russian problem as this is trying to claim.

I highly doubt that a properly updated device being used to browse legitimate websites will be "hacked within minutes" as this sensationalized report claims.

Edit:

I found this longer version of the story:

http://www.nbcnews.com/watch/nbc-news-web-extra/honeypot-tes...

Basically they went to a website on the phone and ignored warnings in order to download and execute a malicious APK. On the PC they followed a link in a scammy looking phishing email to download and open a malicious Office document. On the Mac they visited a website that had an ad suggesting that they needed an "antivirus program" so they downloaded and installed it.

So yeah the devices were hacked within 24 hours, but because of stupidity, not because Sochi is especially dangerous. Nothing can help you if you deliberately ignore warnings, and deliberately install Trojan horse malware. The exact same thing would have happened to him in the US.

TheBiv• 12 years ago

I agree with your thought about properly updated device. I simply don't believe that more than 5% of people (making up a number) have all of their devices properly updated, so this type of report is a fair warning to all.

wavefunction• 12 years ago

>I highly doubt that a properly updated device being used to browse legitimate websites will be "hacked within minutes" as this sensationalized report claims.

I can think of a number of ways to accomplish this just from your vague description. Some of them aren't even technical. Never let your imagination limit you to what "can be," it's a false horizon.

forgotAgain• 12 years ago

If you control the communications network it would be simple to substitute a file within a non-encrypted session.

gregcmartin• 12 years ago

this video is full of FUD..

that being said, it is trivial for a nation state to do automatic JS injection to the DOM using carrier grade MITM packet manipulation on any user-agent or cookies with en_us locale strings leaving a particular telecom provider. We now know this is standard practice even by western countries to foreigners.

Standard level of paranoia should apply if your concerned about privacy regardless if your in Sochi or Starbucks cafe in Cleveland.

evan_• 12 years ago

Thorough debunking: http://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/1x2t3j/all_visitors_...

bilbo0s• 12 years ago

Wow...

I guess you can't really trust anything once the propaganda ministries are involved.

Seriously though... if the reddit is true... and it sounds VERY plausible... that report was just HORRIBLE journalism.

Dirlewanger• 12 years ago

Avoiding any televised segment that NBC...hell, any of the 3 major broadcast networks should be a rule of thumb for anyone. They're always filled with dumbed-down, sensationalist horseshit riddled with out-of-context soundbytes and talking heads. Wouldn't be a stretch to call it a variant of modern day yellow journalism.

TannerLD• 12 years ago

The Loop wrote about this: http://www.loopinsight.com/2014/02/06/welcome-to-sochi-bam-y...

Here is a less edited version (via The Loop): http://www.nbcnews.com/watch/nbc-news-web-extra/honeypot-tes...

michaldudek• 12 years ago

How ironic.

NSAID• 12 years ago

The security consultant is on Twitter[1]. It looks like he's explaining things weren't "automatic"[2] and it was FUD ("TV's goal is to make it interesting.")[3] and "tv magic"[4]

1. https://twitter.com/lowcalspam

2. https://twitter.com/lowcalspam/status/431086164905181184

3. https://twitter.com/lowcalspam/status/431114615893028864

4. https://twitter.com/lowcalspam/status/430883194380881920

sbhere• 12 years ago

Thanks, NBC, for not giving me an option to stop from playing the next clip.

Mc_Big_G• 12 years ago

Glad to see this thoroughly debunked

All Visitors to Sochi Olympics Immediately Hacked [video]

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