California state source code review: The unencrypted default password to diebold machines is *drumroll please* "diebold"

[Phokus]

http://forums.somethingawful.c...d.php?threadid=2581699

There should be a constitutional amendment that all states have audit trails for votes which must be stored for several years. Diebold can leave whatever security holes they want in their systems, just introduce a damn audit trail.

Diebold, located in North Canton, Ohio, does its primary business in ATM and ticket-vending machines. Critics of Diebold point out that virtually every other machine the company makes provides a paper trail to verify the machine's calculations. Oddly, only the voting machines lack this essential function.

Yeah that's not suspicious at all.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Constitutional ammendments are not easy to come by.

Also, voting is a state controlled right, not Federal.

The exposure to financial liablities is what cause the purchasers of the ATMs and ticket dispensers to require paper audit trails to be added to the machines.

It is up to the purchasers of the voting machines to require as such.
Those customers are your local governments, not the state or Federal.

 

[ayabe]

Same story in Florida, the machines can still have their numbers "adjusted" by polling staff.

This is good in a way, if you vote "incorrectly", your friendly poll worker can "correct" it for you.

 

[Mxylplyx]

Diebold merely supplies what the market demands, and that market is local governments. You cant compare the maturity of ATM's and voting machines, because ATM's are sold at a much higher volume, and their usage is so high that even the smallest problems and needed enhancements can be identified and resolved. Voting machines go through a whole revolution between each election, especially since democrats now complain about the voting results after every election, so the technology never has the opportunity to be fleshed out before it's reinvented once again.

Also, mark my words. If the next election doesnt go democrat's way, they'll start harping on the voting machines once again, as that is now part of their playbook. Diebold has become one of their favored political targets, just like Halliburton and Walmart.

 

[ayabe]

Originally posted by: Mxylplyx
Also, mark my words. If the next election doesnt go democrat's way, they'll start harping on the voting machines once again, as that is now part of their playbook. Diebold has become one of their favored political targets, just like Halliburton and Walmart.

Yeah it's so unfair how they target these fine upstanding companies, might have something to do with:
"IN mid-August, Walden W. O'Dell, the chief executive of Diebold Inc., sat down at his computer to compose a letter inviting 100 wealthy and politically inclined friends to a Republican Party fund-raiser, to be held at his home in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. ''I am committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year,'' wrote Mr. O'Dell, whose company is based in Canton, Ohio."

Text

I'm sure if such major errors were uncovered and such glaring examples of conflicts of interest attributed to a company that was lead by a Democratic operative, the Republican party wouldn't utter a peep.

Just to test this let all the states use MichaelMoore Voting machines for the next election.

Not to mention the voter caging and other absolutely illegal voter disenfranchising schemes that have been perpetrated in the last few years, you really have to wonder why Republicans want to cry if you ask for a paper trail or an investigation.

Couple that with the fact that they want to prosecute Democrats for voter fraud even without a shred of evidence, and if they can't find a prosecutor willing to go on no evidence they will just fire him or her and replace them with someone less ethically inclined.

Indeed nothing to see here, move along.

 

[StageLeft]

I must have learned nothing because I still cannot understand how a simple dumb client with a few basic functions and reporting its results to a central data repository is so bleeding difficult that this incredibly rich company cannot make flawless voting machines and couldn't do it early on.

 

[imported_Shivetya]

Originally posted by: Phokus
http://forums.somethingawful.c...d.php?threadid=2581699

There should be a constitutional amendment that all states have audit trails for votes which must be stored for several years. Diebold can leave whatever security holes they want in their systems, just introduce a damn audit trail.

Diebold, located in North Canton, Ohio, does its primary business in ATM and ticket-vending machines. Critics of Diebold point out that virtually every other machine the company makes provides a paper trail to verify the machine's calculations. Oddly, only the voting machines lack this essential function.

Yeah that's not suspicious at all.

1. The unecrypted default password is not a problem, its called over exaggeration. I guess what they are really saying is that government employees are TOO STUPID to follow setup instructions and use proper security. (which means they would change the default)


What a way to make a mockery of the Constitution. The Constitution surivives because not every hair brained idea that comes up gets nominated for inclusion.

Go find in the Constitution where you have the RIGHT to vote for President....

 

[ayabe]

Originally posted by: Shivetya
Go find in the Constitution where you have the RIGHT to vote for President....

Absolutely brilliant defense of voter fraud, kudos to you.

 

[dahunan]

Originally posted by: ayabe

Originally posted by: Shivetya
Go find in the Constitution where you have the RIGHT to vote for President....

Absolutely brilliant defense of voter fraud, kudos to you.

It is probably what we will hear in 08 after we have attacked Iran

 

[Mxylplyx]

Originally posted by: ayabe

Originally posted by: Mxylplyx
Also, mark my words. If the next election doesnt go democrat's way, they'll start harping on the voting machines once again, as that is now part of their playbook. Diebold has become one of their favored political targets, just like Halliburton and Walmart.

Yeah it's so unfair how they target these fine upstanding companies, might have something to do with:
"IN mid-August, Walden W. O'Dell, the chief executive of Diebold Inc., sat down at his computer to compose a letter inviting 100 wealthy and politically inclined friends to a Republican Party fund-raiser, to be held at his home in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. ''I am committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year,'' wrote Mr. O'Dell, whose company is based in Canton, Ohio."

Text

I'm sure if such major errors were uncovered and such glaring examples of conflicts of interest attributed to a company that was lead by a Democratic operative, the Republican party wouldn't utter a peep.

Just to test this let all the states use MichaelMoore Voting machines for the next election.

Not to mention the voter caging and other absolutely illegal voter disenfranchising schemes that have been perpetrated in the last few years, you really have to wonder why Republicans want to cry if you ask for a paper trail or an investigation.

Couple that with the fact that they want to prosecute Democrats for voter fraud even without a shred of evidence, and if they can't find a prosecutor willing to go on no evidence they will just fire him or her and replace them with someone less ethically inclined.

Indeed nothing to see here, move along.

You honestly think Diebold machines could be configured to tilt votes towards a particular candidate without any of the programmers, project managers, etc going public with it or telling their friends? You drink too much Kool-Aid if you believe that. Also, it's not like "Bush" or "Republican" is hardcoded anywhere in the machine source code. The machines are configured in software for each election. They could just as easily be configured to tally a vote on whether people wipe front to back or vice versa. The democrats needed a boogey man for their lost election, and Diebold made an easy target. Simple as that.

 

[Bumrush99]

Originally posted by: Mxylplyx

Originally posted by: ayabe

Originally posted by: Mxylplyx
Also, mark my words. If the next election doesnt go democrat's way, they'll start harping on the voting machines once again, as that is now part of their playbook. Diebold has become one of their favored political targets, just like Halliburton and Walmart.

Yeah it's so unfair how they target these fine upstanding companies, might have something to do with:
"IN mid-August, Walden W. O'Dell, the chief executive of Diebold Inc., sat down at his computer to compose a letter inviting 100 wealthy and politically inclined friends to a Republican Party fund-raiser, to be held at his home in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. ''I am committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year,'' wrote Mr. O'Dell, whose company is based in Canton, Ohio."

Text

I'm sure if such major errors were uncovered and such glaring examples of conflicts of interest attributed to a company that was lead by a Democratic operative, the Republican party wouldn't utter a peep.

Just to test this let all the states use MichaelMoore Voting machines for the next election.

Not to mention the voter caging and other absolutely illegal voter disenfranchising schemes that have been perpetrated in the last few years, you really have to wonder why Republicans want to cry if you ask for a paper trail or an investigation.

Couple that with the fact that they want to prosecute Democrats for voter fraud even without a shred of evidence, and if they can't find a prosecutor willing to go on no evidence they will just fire him or her and replace them with someone less ethically inclined.

Indeed nothing to see here, move along.

You honestly think Diebold machines could be configured to tilt votes towards a particular candidate without any of the programmers, project managers, etc going public with it or telling their friends? You drink too much Kool-Aid if you believe that. Also, it's not like "Bush" or "Republican" is hardcoded anywhere in the machine source code. The machines are configured in software for each election. They could just as easily be configured to tally a vote on whether people wipe front to back or vice versa. The democrats needed a boogey man for their lost election, and Diebold made an easy target. Simple as that.

Jeez how dense can you be after reading his post? The point of his post is the obvious conflict of interest when the CEO of the company distributing and developing voting machines meets with members of one party and promises to "deliver" a critical swing state.

Now please go ahead and justify that. Take it a step further and imagine if the CEO of Deibold, right before the midterm elections of 2004 met with top Democrats and promised to deliver the House and Senate to them. Wouldn't you be a bit discouraged and suspicious if that occurred? Why does everything need to turn in to a partisan argument, EVERY American should be concerned about the article if the details and comments contained within it are true. This isn't a Democratic or Republican issue.

So I'll ask you Mxyplyx, does it concern you that the CEO of a company that manufactures and distributes electronic voting machines met with members of certain political ideology and promised to "deliver" election results? Let us assume those comments were taken out of context, would it still bother you if the CEO of a company that develops and distributes voting equipment met exclusively with members of one party which he supports?

 

[FoBoT]

county govts. are the customers

do you know how clueless most county govts/employees are about tech?


no surprises here

 

[ayabe]

Originally posted by: Mxylplyx

Originally posted by: ayabe

Originally posted by: Mxylplyx
Also, mark my words. If the next election doesnt go democrat's way, they'll start harping on the voting machines once again, as that is now part of their playbook. Diebold has become one of their favored political targets, just like Halliburton and Walmart.

Yeah it's so unfair how they target these fine upstanding companies, might have something to do with:
"IN mid-August, Walden W. O'Dell, the chief executive of Diebold Inc., sat down at his computer to compose a letter inviting 100 wealthy and politically inclined friends to a Republican Party fund-raiser, to be held at his home in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. ''I am committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year,'' wrote Mr. O'Dell, whose company is based in Canton, Ohio."

Text

I'm sure if such major errors were uncovered and such glaring examples of conflicts of interest attributed to a company that was lead by a Democratic operative, the Republican party wouldn't utter a peep.

Just to test this let all the states use MichaelMoore Voting machines for the next election.

Not to mention the voter caging and other absolutely illegal voter disenfranchising schemes that have been perpetrated in the last few years, you really have to wonder why Republicans want to cry if you ask for a paper trail or an investigation.

Couple that with the fact that they want to prosecute Democrats for voter fraud even without a shred of evidence, and if they can't find a prosecutor willing to go on no evidence they will just fire him or her and replace them with someone less ethically inclined.

Indeed nothing to see here, move along.

You honestly think Diebold machines could be configured to tilt votes towards a particular candidate without any of the programmers, project managers, etc going public with it or telling their friends? You drink too much Kool-Aid if you believe that. Also, it's not like "Bush" or "Republican" is hardcoded anywhere in the machine source code. The machines are configured in software for each election. They could just as easily be configured to tally a vote on whether people wipe front to back or vice versa. The democrats needed a boogey man for their lost election, and Diebold made an easy target. Simple as that.

The machines are not secure and don't have a paper trail to verify results and have a track record of being entirely wrong, it's as simple as that.

There's no Kool-aid needed to see that we shouldn't be using them.

Otherwise bring on the MichaelMoore voting machines.

 

[Corn]

Originally posted by: Mxylplyx

Originally posted by: ayabe

Originally posted by: Mxylplyx
Also, mark my words. If the next election doesnt go democrat's way, they'll start harping on the voting machines once again, as that is now part of their playbook. Diebold has become one of their favored political targets, just like Halliburton and Walmart.

Yeah it's so unfair how they target these fine upstanding companies, might have something to do with:
"IN mid-August, Walden W. O'Dell, the chief executive of Diebold Inc., sat down at his computer to compose a letter inviting 100 wealthy and politically inclined friends to a Republican Party fund-raiser, to be held at his home in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. ''I am committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year,'' wrote Mr. O'Dell, whose company is based in Canton, Ohio."

Text

I'm sure if such major errors were uncovered and such glaring examples of conflicts of interest attributed to a company that was lead by a Democratic operative, the Republican party wouldn't utter a peep.

Just to test this let all the states use MichaelMoore Voting machines for the next election.

Not to mention the voter caging and other absolutely illegal voter disenfranchising schemes that have been perpetrated in the last few years, you really have to wonder why Republicans want to cry if you ask for a paper trail or an investigation.

Couple that with the fact that they want to prosecute Democrats for voter fraud even without a shred of evidence, and if they can't find a prosecutor willing to go on no evidence they will just fire him or her and replace them with someone less ethically inclined.

Indeed nothing to see here, move along.

You honestly think Diebold machines could be configured to tilt votes towards a particular candidate without any of the programmers, project managers, etc going public with it or telling their friends? You drink too much Kool-Aid if you believe that. Also, it's not like "Bush" or "Republican" is hardcoded anywhere in the machine source code. The machines are configured in software for each election. They could just as easily be configured to tally a vote on whether people wipe front to back or vice versa. The democrats needed a boogey man for their lost election, and Diebold made an easy target. Simple as that.

I prefer the hurricane swirl method myself.

 

[1EZduzit]

Why anybody would not want a electronic voting machine that doesn't leave a paper trail is beyond me?? It protects both sides from potential abuse of the system, who wouldn't want that??

It's even a scary thought that they are trying to push these machines on us with no possible oversight of the election board. Talk about leaving the barn door open!!

 

[Pabster]

Originally posted by: Mxylplyx
The democrats needed a boogey man for their lost election, and Diebold made an easy target. Simple as that.

QFT. :thumbsup:

 

[Mxylplyx]

Originally posted by: 1EZduzit
Why anybody would not want a electronic voting machine that doesn't leave a paper trail is beyond me?? It protects both sides from potential abuse of the system, who wouldn't want that??

It's even a scary thought that they are trying to push these machines on us with no possible oversight of the election board. Talk about leaving the barn door open!!

I dont think it's a matter of "not wanting" voting machines with a paper trail. These machines were rushed to market, and Diebold customers, ie government, were apparently in such a rush, they were willing to purchase the machines without the printers. Dont blame Diebold. If lack of printers was a deal breaker for it's customers, they would have rushed to get printers installed. Diebold is a company in business to make money. If they see a shift in demand, they will shift to meet that demand, and make more money. Lack of printers is the responsibility of the local govenments that purchased the existing machines.

 

[umbrella39]

Originally posted by: 1EZduzit
Why anybody would not want a electronic voting machine that doesn't leave a paper trail is beyond me?? It protects both sides from potential abuse of the system, who wouldn't want that??

It's even a scary thought that they are trying to push these machines on us with no possible oversight of the election board. Talk about leaving the barn door open!!

Don't bother trying to talk sense to the fanclub posting in this thread. They are too busy tripping over themselves giving high fives to care about reality.

 

[OutHouse]

i still love my county's system. Check in, voting official checks your ID against a roster, sign your name get a paper voting ballot with bubble circles to fill in with a special pen. got to a booth color in the choices you want and when your done walk back to the voting offical and YOU feed your ballot in the reader to scan your marks and your done. its simple fast and can be recounted pretty easily. why make the whole voting process so damn complicated with complex machines. all you need is paper and a pen.

 

[1EZduzit]

Originally posted by: Mxylplyx

Originally posted by: 1EZduzit
Why anybody would not want a electronic voting machine that doesn't leave a paper trail is beyond me?? It protects both sides from potential abuse of the system, who wouldn't want that??

It's even a scary thought that they are trying to push these machines on us with no possible oversight of the election board. Talk about leaving the barn door open!!

I dont think it's a matter of "not wanting" voting machines with a paper trail. These machines were rushed to market, and Diebold customers, ie government, were apparently in such a rush, they were willing to purchase the machines without the printers. Dont blame Diebold. If lack of printers was a deal breaker for it's customers, they would have rushed to get printers installed. Diebold is a company in business to make money. If they see a shift in demand, they will shift to meet that demand, and make more money. Lack of printers is the responsibility of the local govenments that purchased the existing machines.

Who in the world ever had the idea that people would blindly accept electronic voting with no verifiable paper trail?

They had to be either crooked or idiots? Like I said before, they left the barn door open and if abuse hasn't already happened it is only a matter of time until it does.

 

[Mxylplyx]

Originally posted by: Bumrush99

Originally posted by: Mxylplyx

Originally posted by: ayabe

Originally posted by: Mxylplyx
Also, mark my words. If the next election doesnt go democrat's way, they'll start harping on the voting machines once again, as that is now part of their playbook. Diebold has become one of their favored political targets, just like Halliburton and Walmart.

Yeah it's so unfair how they target these fine upstanding companies, might have something to do with:
"IN mid-August, Walden W. O'Dell, the chief executive of Diebold Inc., sat down at his computer to compose a letter inviting 100 wealthy and politically inclined friends to a Republican Party fund-raiser, to be held at his home in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. ''I am committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year,'' wrote Mr. O'Dell, whose company is based in Canton, Ohio."

Text

I'm sure if such major errors were uncovered and such glaring examples of conflicts of interest attributed to a company that was lead by a Democratic operative, the Republican party wouldn't utter a peep.

Just to test this let all the states use MichaelMoore Voting machines for the next election.

Not to mention the voter caging and other absolutely illegal voter disenfranchising schemes that have been perpetrated in the last few years, you really have to wonder why Republicans want to cry if you ask for a paper trail or an investigation.

Couple that with the fact that they want to prosecute Democrats for voter fraud even without a shred of evidence, and if they can't find a prosecutor willing to go on no evidence they will just fire him or her and replace them with someone less ethically inclined.

Indeed nothing to see here, move along.

You honestly think Diebold machines could be configured to tilt votes towards a particular candidate without any of the programmers, project managers, etc going public with it or telling their friends? You drink too much Kool-Aid if you believe that. Also, it's not like "Bush" or "Republican" is hardcoded anywhere in the machine source code. The machines are configured in software for each election. They could just as easily be configured to tally a vote on whether people wipe front to back or vice versa. The democrats needed a boogey man for their lost election, and Diebold made an easy target. Simple as that.

Jeez how dense can you be after reading his post? The point of his post is the obvious conflict of interest when the CEO of the company distributing and developing voting machines meets with members of one party and promises to "deliver" a critical swing state.

Now please go ahead and justify that. Take it a step further and imagine if the CEO of Deibold, right before the midterm elections of 2004 met with top Democrats and promised to deliver the House and Senate to them. Wouldn't you be a bit discouraged and suspicious if that occurred? Why does everything need to turn in to a partisan argument, EVERY American should be concerned about the article if the details and comments contained within it are true. This isn't a Democratic or Republican issue.

So I'll ask you Mxyplyx, does it concern you that the CEO of a company that manufactures and distributes electronic voting machines met with members of certain political ideology and promised to "deliver" election results? Let us assume those comments were taken out of context, would it still bother you if the CEO of a company that develops and distributes voting equipment met exclusively with members of one party which he supports?

I wouldnt be concerned. Walden W. O'Dell, the former CEO of Diebold, knows as much about making voting machines as the CEO of ExxonMobil knows about drilling for oil, and thats not much. There is no way a directive by O'Dell could have affected thousands of machines without the technical people being involved in it. This is the real world, not some movie where such things become possible. I am concerned about voting machines not having paper trails, especially as a programmer who knows how easy vast amounts of data can be manipulated. I'm amazed various dumbass elections officials were willing to buy them in the first place given their shortcomings. I think optical ballots should have been adopted nationwide, and anyone too stupid to use on of those is too stupid to be voting.

 

[JEDIYoda]

I am now selling tin foil hats with the word Diebold written on the front of the hat with non- erase black marker...

 

[umbrella39]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
I am now selling tin foil hats with the word Diebold written on the front of the hat with non- erase black marker...