Student exposes boarding pass security flaw, has home raided by FBI

[ElFenix]

not even all boarding passes are electronically screened. flying jet blue i was handed what appeared to be a regular piece of paper, and all they did was check my ID.


of course, all the guys that flew the planes on 9/11 had all purchased tickets, so making fake boarding passes probably wouldn't be necessary to hijack another plane.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Originally posted by: Jeeebus

Originally posted by: SarcasticDwarf

Originally posted by: Jeeebus
The point is, he made a user friendly tool where any fawking idiot could type their name and flight in, and voila print out a ready to go boarding pass... and then advertised it on the Internet for everyone to use... was that necessary to "expose" the security flaw? Ya, a letter probably would have taken a while to achieve its intended goal, but what about just contacting any of the local news outlets and explaining what you've found? I guarantee they'd all be salivating to get the story. Bingo, you expose the flaw without putting it in the hands of every asshat in the world.

This guy was a tard. He belongs in the new super prison I am constructing for fawking idiots that should no longer be populating our planet. /END

Again though, this has been a known flaw for over three years now. Clearly a letter would have done NOTHING.

Did you even read what I typed?

Yup. Your argument is without merit.

1) Pretty much anyone could create a fake boarding pass without the tool.
2) The TSA and world at large has known about the flaw for at least three years.
2a) Letters have done nothing
3) A call to the local TV station would likely have resulted in either:
3a) The story being buried for security purposes and no change being implemented
3b) The story being released to the world with the same results (FBI involvement).

 

[kami333]

Critics of airline security restrictions say Soghoian's site automated a loophole that others have written and spoken about for more than three years

I have thought about the exact same thing, though I was thinking more about photoshoping than generating one from scratch.

Way too easy to get around.

 

[Soybomb]

I don't see that he did anythinig illegal. He attempted to disclose the information in private on the problem, when that failed he disclosed it publically. If you're bad at anyone it should the FBI because the next guy who notices a problem is going to keep his big bazoo shut about to keep the feeb from ransacking his house and taking his toys. Not that I think flight security really matters all that much but...

 

[Jeeebus]

Originally posted by: SarcasticDwarf

Originally posted by: Jeeebus

Originally posted by: SarcasticDwarf

Originally posted by: Jeeebus
The point is, he made a user friendly tool where any fawking idiot could type their name and flight in, and voila print out a ready to go boarding pass... and then advertised it on the Internet for everyone to use... was that necessary to "expose" the security flaw? Ya, a letter probably would have taken a while to achieve its intended goal, but what about just contacting any of the local news outlets and explaining what you've found? I guarantee they'd all be salivating to get the story. Bingo, you expose the flaw without putting it in the hands of every asshat in the world.

This guy was a tard. He belongs in the new super prison I am constructing for fawking idiots that should no longer be populating our planet. /END

Again though, this has been a known flaw for over three years now. Clearly a letter would have done NOTHING.

Did you even read what I typed?

Yup. Your argument is without merit.

1) Pretty much anyone could create a fake boarding pass without the tool.
2) The TSA and world at large has known about the flaw for at least three years.
2a) Letters have done nothing
3) A call to the local TV station would likely have resulted in either:
3a) The story being buried for security purposes and no change being implemented
3b) The story being released to the world with the same results (FBI involvement).

Shens...

1). In five minutes time, I sure as hell don't know how to create a fake boarding pass. Do you? "pretty much anyone"... ok, who? The point is that his website didn't say "hey there's a flaw and anyone can make a boarding pass." For some reason he created a tool that "pretty much anyone" could just type in a couple of quick things and everything was automated. Sure, a sophisticated criminal could easily have figured that out. But now anyone with a 60 IQ could figure it out as well.

2). And that makes it ok because?
2a). I already acknowledged that a letter would likely do nothing.
3a). Unless you work for each of the major news outlets, your tin hat brigade logic doesn't exactly support your statement.
3b). Ok, the story is released... that's the point. Expose the flaw without also giving away the applet.

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
not even all boarding passes are electronically screened. flying jet blue i was handed what appeared to be a regular piece of paper, and all they did was check my ID.


of course, all the guys that flew the planes on 9/11 had all purchased tickets, so making fake boarding passes probably wouldn't be necessary to hijack another plane.

No way! Terrorists sneak across the Mexican border, assume fake identities, then use fake boarding passes! There's no way they'd do anything legally!

 

[dmcowen674]

Wow, I feel so much better now that they manhandled this Terrist, don't you all?

 

[Scarpozzi]

Boarding pass security is weak anyhow. At the security checkpoint, they only read your name, date, and compare your name to the name on your ID.

At the gates, they scan the barcode and let you through there. Well, last month I was supposed to fly from ATL to Chattanooga....the flight was delayed 3 hours. I got drunk in the Delta Crown Room Club and saw a line up when I got back to the gate....I assumed that was my flight because I noticed a girl on my flight in the line...When I turned around, she was gone so I assumed she went through the gate... I gave the gate attendent my ticket and she scanned it....I walked down the ramp and a lady there asked, "Are you ready to go to Panama City?" She thought I was joking when I told her no.

Security isn't tight and those machines they scan don't really do anything except verify that the ticket is valid. I hope TSA does a better job at establishing higher standards if they're going to make us all jump through hoops. I hate thinking that more can be done and they're not doing it.

 

[allisolm]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674
Wow, I feel so much better now that they manhandled this Terrist, don't you all?

I guess I missed the part where he was manhandled.

 

[rgwalt]

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
Boarding pass security is weak anyhow. At the security checkpoint, they only read your name, date, and compare your name to the name on your ID.

At the gates, they scan the barcode and let you through there. Well, last month I was supposed to fly from ATL to Chattanooga....the flight was delayed 3 hours. I got drunk in the Delta Crown Room Club and saw a line up when I got back to the gate....I assumed that was my flight because I noticed a girl on my flight in the line...When I turned around, she was gone so I assumed she went through the gate... I gave the gate attendent my ticket and she scanned it....I walked down the ramp and a lady there asked, "Are you ready to go to Panama City?" She thought I was joking when I told her no.

Security isn't tight and those machines they scan don't really do anything except verify that the ticket is valid. I hope TSA does a better job at establishing higher standards if they're going to make us all jump through hoops. I hate thinking that more can be done and they're not doing it.

This helps me envision a simple way of getting weapons and terrorists on a plane. I won't go into detail here, but a couple of well placed payoffs could be used to smuggle weapons into an airport. A fake ticket to get through the gate would then allow the person into the airport, and a legit ticket past the gate bought in someone else's name would get them on the plane.

IDs need to be compared against tickets at both check points, and tickets need to be scanned at both check points.

R

 

[jdini76]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
Seems like he just wanted the publicity by posting it on the web rather than just notifying the proper authorities discreetly. I hope he goes to prison.

agrred. All he was looking for was his 5 mins of fame.

 

[marvdmartian]

So smart......and yet, so fvcking stupid! :roll:

I wonder if he ever considered calling his local newspaper with this information, or even a local or national news outlet?? As far left as CNN has been leaning lately, they'd have picked up the story in a heartbeat!!

Shockingly, this kid's generation will be running the country in the next 20 years! :shocked:

 

[yllus]

Originally posted by: marvdmartian
Shockingly, this kid's generation will be running the country in the next 20 years! :shocked:

The amusing thought that always goes through my head when someone says that: "We can't possibly do any worse than the one that runs things now!"

 

[michaels]

This F*&kstick deserves jailtime for this stupic act he pulled.

 

[tm37]

First off anyone who fly's regularly knows that we can print multiple boarding passes from home.

I fly northwest and I could very easly just print the pass to file and edit to my hearts content.

THis is not a new flaw and also to anyone who flys semi regularly they should know how easy it would be to do.

Also a fake bording pass will not help you get anything through the security checkpoint. Unless you were to break it in to really small pieces then put it back to gether.

It would be easier to get a job at the airport mcdonalds to smuggle things in however. Think about the fact they don't screen the mcnuggets entering the airport.

 

[Chiropteran]

I'm sickened by how willing most ATOT members are to throw away personal freedom.

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: Chiropteran
I'm sickened by how willing most ATOT members are to throw away personal freedom.

No sh!t.

P&N is a leftist circle jerk, and it's a bunch of freedom hating fascists in OT. Where's a sane person supposed to go?

 

[GTaudiophile]

He's gonna have some fun at Club Gitmo!

 

[everman]

Good to know they can break into your house, take whatever they want, and not even need to charge you with a crime.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Airport security is a joke, period. The guy at my last 3 flights didn't even look at my picture, just looked if the name matched for a second, then scurried me on.

 

[Garet Jax]

Originally posted by: Ramma2
This is like robbing a bank to prove that the bank has security flaws. Was he really stupid enough to think that nothing would happen to him?

We live in different times, people need to think about the consequences their actions could have.

Very bad analogy.

This is like posting the security shortcomings for a bank online so that real bank robbers can use it.

According to the 1st admendment, posting this information should not be illegal.

Robbing a bank would still be illegal even if he planned to return all the money afterwards.

 

[Garet Jax]

Originally posted by: Firsttime
I fail to see the problem with what the FBI did there. When one write about how to break the law I think the FBI has a legit concern there.

Then you might as well remove a good number of books from active publication as well.

 

[Garet Jax]

Originally posted by: Ramma2

Originally posted by: SarcasticDwarf

Originally posted by: Ramma2
This is like robbing a bank to prove that the bank has security flaws. Was he really stupid enough to think that nothing would happen to him?

We live in different times, people need to think about the consequences their actions could have.

It is nothing like robbing a bank. You are a moron.

You are the moron if you can't understand the point behind the metaphor. Doing something that shouldn't be done to prove that it can be done isn't very smart. Is that better for you?

You're the moron. He didn't actually print a fake boarding pass and circumvent security so it is nothing like robbing a bank.

 

[Wreckem]

Originally posted by: everman
Good to know they can break into your house, take whatever they want, and not even need to charge you with a crime.

They had a court ordered search warrant.

 

[Billzie7718]

Serious question:
Is it illegal to provide someone the tools to make a fake document? I realize that making and using a fake ID or Passport is a crime, but what about a program that allows other people to? Is the person who used the tool to create a fake ID off the hook?

Also, it's a boarding pass for an airline, not a government agency. Isn't it at most going to be some kind of theft charge?