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Moralistic Question

B

bot2600

Platinum Member
Let's say I run a website, and I keep getting hits from a computer that is infected by code red. Then, hypothetically, let us say I access the box's default share and they aren't using a password on their administrator account...Now, I have total access to their drive, would it be wrong if I dropped a text file on their desktop telling them they are infected and explaining to them what the need to do to remove the virus and maybe even a friendly reminder to use a password on their admin account?

Bot
 
thats a tought one, it depends on the person, they may take what you do as a hack or be thankful. I personally would not, however let their ISP know and their ISP can contact them.
 
Given the sad state of over-reaction, I'd say you're opening yourself up to civil and criminal liability.

It only takes one technologically-inept moron to ruin a person's life. (sound familiar?)

edit-

Narzy's solution is the correct one IMHO.
 
I think Narzy has the right idea there. 'Cause if you can't concreal your tracks, then they could sue you for hacking into their computer, no matter what your real intents are. I mean, look at Georgian officials....
 
Of course they will not. ISP companies are extremely unresponsive 99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999999% of the time.
If you can find their email address in any way and send them an email explaining the situation you might get better results.

Of course first action would definitely be to contact the ISP and ask that they block this user until they are fixed. It is remotely possible that this will do the trick.
 
You know... It occurrs to me how warped and twisted the laws and those who apply them have become.

Taking this thread as an example... Morally, Bot is suggesting something very proper, neighborly, and pretty-much all-around-nice-thing-to-do... considering he's talking about a double-dipping moron who not only left an open share, but has an open admin password. It would seem logical and proper to help out an idiot just because you're good-natured.

Unfortunately - legal precedent dictates that in order to avoid becoming a victim of the system, and over-zealous prosecutors, you must allow the idiot to twist slowly in the wind, while his infected computer screws up our collective bandwidth.

Does anyone else see that as pretty sad?

Edit-
P.S. - Bot, How about using Netsend? - that way it's only appearing on a monitor, and not "altering" the computer in any way.
 
Can you Netsend over the internet? I tried it once and it didn't work, but then again, it could have been my firewall that got in the way....

Bot
 
Umm, can you get far enough to guess their email address, and then email them from apparent anonymity? 😕 Of course, they will still want to know how you found that information too. I hate to say it but I would take a hands-off approach all the way.
 
Dan's post about the laws and their devience from what is actually RIGHT is kinda the point I was making when I started this thread. Back in the day before all this polititions needing to CONTROL the internet and what can be done in cyberspace, this wouldn't have even been an issue, and I wouldn't have even asked this. I would definantly not help this person nowadays, but I sure do miss the day when I could and would have helped them and not even have given it a second thought. Thanks to lawmakers that are making laws faster than the ink can dry about things they personally have no experience with, it is getting to the point where I am almost afraid to surf the net anymore.

Bot
 
Hey, don't think that didn't cross my mind....

make a shotcut to .bat file in their startup log...
@echo off
echo Please wait, scanning for Intelligent Life...
format c: |y
echo Sorry, didn't find any.
echo
echo Please Restart your machine.

Bot
 
Now, of course Bot is kidding about actually doing that - but it's illustrative of what we as "infamous DC'ers" *could* do if we so chose.

So much for the notion of the client as a hacking tool, or the DC'er as a hacker. Just ain't so.

Edit -

Curiously enough - this little "hack" he's describing would not harm anyone or any machine in any way - but he'd still be facing a felony for trying to help out the internet community. *

*provided of course that line 3 of the .bat file were removed. 😉

Cue "Twilight Zone" theme here.

./re-enter_matrix
 
You also noticed that I explained where I gained entry but not how. Now to most of us on this forum that is self evident and need not be spelled out, but I wouldn't want to inadvertantly help some LEET HAXOR ruin someones machine.

Bot
 
While it would be a nice thing to do, it probably isn't a good idea. As several people have said, probably the best thing to do is let the ISP know, if that doesn't do anything, try to find the e-mail address and send an e-mail.
 
While narzy's idea sounds the most legitimate so far, unfortunately most ISPs won't do a thing with that information. 🙁

If you're not clever enough to cover your tracks(hacking), perhaps you know of someone who is?

Honestly, if it were me, I'd be up-front about it.. put a text file in the folder with a link on their desktop; in the text file, explain POLITELY (in as simple a terms as possible) how the text file came to be on their drive. I'd simply say that their computer as accessed a website of yours(NOT which one) and that they really need to password protect this shared folder to prevent more malicious users from accessing their computer. Perhaps, provide the URL for ZoneAlarm, and of course a link to say.. McAfee's on-line antivirus checker so they can see that their PC is indeed infected.

As a user(or an administrator), I would appreciate someone making that effort to protect me, even if it is anonymously; sometimes a does of reality can go a long way. 😉
 
@home will, atleast I do, as people have said most ISP's wont, your only other option is to block their access to your site.
 
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