The Hacker's Encyclopedia 1998/hackers_encyclopedia.iso/phreak/boxes/basicbb.txt

Text File | 2003-06-11 | 5.9 KB | 112 lines

Unauthorised Access UK  0636-708063  10pm-7am  12oo/24oo

    THE FOLLOWING "GOLDEN OLDIE (1980) IS FROM THE LEGENDARY "8BBS" OF BERNARD
KLATT IN SANTA CLARA, CA.  THIS IS THE FIRST PHREAK BBS THAT I EVER HEARD OF IT
WAS A PDP-8 THAT COULD SUPPORT TWO USERS.  IT "DISAPPEARED" AFTER AN OMNI
MAGAZINE ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED ABOUT PHREAKING.

    RESURRECTED BY BILL DOGER (PLEASE DOWNLOAD AND SAVE FOR POSTERITY)

    SUBJECT:  BASIC BOXES, PART I

    THIS IS SOME REASONABLE BASIC STUFF, SO EXPERIENCED HACKERS MAY WISH TO
SKIP THESE MESSAGES.

    WHAT I WILL PROVIDE HERE IS A SUMMARY OF THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT BOXES,
SOME OF THE WAYS THE TELCOES TRY TO CATCH BOXERS, AND SOME SUGGESTIONS ON
AVOIDING BEING CAUGHT.

    THE MOST FAMOUS BOX, THE BLUE BOX, IS ESSENTIALLY LIKE A PORTABLE
TOUCH-TONE PAD, EXCEPT THE TONES ARE NOT TOUCH-TONE (DTMF) -- THEY ARE THE
TRUNK SIGNALLING FREQUENCIES (MF).  THESE FREQUENCIES WERE GIVEN BY SUSAN IN A
MESSAGE A FEW BACK.  A GOOD BOX ALSO CONTAINS THE SUPERVISION CONTROL
FREQUENCY, 2600HZ (SF).

    HACKERS USE THE BOX BY GAINING ACCESS TO A DDD (OR OTHER) NETWORK SENDER
(IT'S LIKE A DIAL TONE), USUALLY BY MAKING AN 800 OR 555 CALL.  A MUCH BETTER
ACCESS IS IF THERE ARE LOCAL TANDEMS IN YOUR AREA USED FOR NON-ACCOUNTED CALLS
BUT ALLOWING NON-LOCAL OUTGOING CALLS.

    HACKERS USE BLUE BOXES BECAUSE IT ALLOWS THE INTRODUCTION OF NETWORK DIAL
CODES OTHER THAN AREA-CODE AND NUMBER AND OPENED AN INCREDIBLY COMPLEX MAZE TO
BE EXPLORED AND TOYED WITH.  OTHER PEOPLE USED BLUE BOXES TO COMPLETE CALLS
WITHOUT PAYING.  THIS MADE AT&T INTENT ON STOPPING THE ACCESS; TO THEM THE
HACKERS TYING UP TANDEMS FROM KALAMAZOO TO MOSCOW WERE A NUISANCE, AND THE
OTHERS WERE THIEVES.

    ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MEANS OF CATCHING BLUE BOXERS WAS AND IS THE
FEATURE IN THE ACCOUNTING PROGRAM WHICH CALLS ATTENTION TO ANY NUMBER WHICH
SHOWS A LARGE NUMBER OF 800 OR 555 CALLS.  (WE KNOW OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS
MANAGERS ON OUR SIDE WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED BY AT&T TO FIND OUT WHY SO AND SO -
AN EMPLOYEE - MAKES SO MANY CALLS TO THE COMPANY 800 NUMBER.) OTHER MEANS
INCLUDE ANALYZING TRUNK TROUBLE REPORTS (IF YOUR BOX DOESN'T TREAT THE TRUNK#HE
SAME WAY AT&TS EQUIPMENT DOES, IT CAN IN SOME CASES GENERATE TROUBLE REPORTS).

    ONCE THE SUSPICION IS THERE, YOUR LOCAL TELCO PUTS A "PEN RECORDER" ON YOUR
LINE, AND EVERYTHING YOU DIAL - ROTARY, TOUCH-TONE, OR MF GETS RECORDED ON
PAPER - THIS PAPER WILL BE USED AS EVIDENCE AGAINST YOU.

    EVENTUALLY THE U.S.  GOVERNMENT PROSECUTES YOU FOR "INTERSTATE FRAUD BY
WIRE" -- AN EXTREMELY BROAD LAW.  MORE ABOUT THAT LAW IN FUTURE STUFF.

    IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE BLUE BOXING, WHICH RELIES ON THE USE OF THE MF
SIGNALS ON THE SAME CIRCUIT THAT YOU TALK ON, MA BELL IS CONVERTING TO A NEW
SYSTEM - COMMON CHANNEL INTEROFFICE SIGNALLING$(CCIS).    THERE ARE MANY BENEFITS
OF CCIS OTHER THAN ELIMINATING BLUE BOXING, BUT IT WILL EVENTUALLY ELIMINATE
BLUE BOXING BECAUSE IT SENDS THE NETWORK SIGNALLING INFORMATION ON DATA LINKS
BETWEEN SIGNAL TRANSFER POINTS (STPS) ASSOCIATED WITH VARIOUS SWITCHING
MACHINES.

    IT WILL TAKE MANY YEARS FOR CCIS TO BE UNIVERSALLY USED, BUT IT IS GOING IN
FAST.  AS LONG AS THERE IS ONE NON-CCIS LINK IN THE NETWORK, THE HACKERS WILL
FIND IT AND PLY THEIR HOBBY.

    TO AVOID GETTING CAUGHT:  DsON'T USE YOUR BOX FROM THE SAME PLACE
REPEATEDLY.  DON'T COMPLETE CALLS TO FRIENDS AND SIT AND GAB -- IF NO "SIGNS
AND SIGNALS" ARE TRANSMITTED (YOU DON'T PASS INFORMATION -- YOU DON'T
COMMUNICATE) YOU HAVE NOT COMMITTED FRAUD BY WIRE.  YOU MAY GET CHARGED WITH
POSSESSION, IF THE STATE LAWS WHERE YOU ARE CAUGHT MAKE BOXES ILLEGAL (HMMM.
LIKE GUN CONTROL -- MAYBE YOU HAVE THE BOX IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY WHEN THE
NETWORK ISN'T WORKING RIGHT -- TO SAVE YOUR LIFE -- BUT IT CAN BE USED TO
COMMIT A CRIME.  ENOUGHT OF THAT NONSENSE).

    THE SECOND FAMOUS BOX IS THE BLACK BOX.  WITH THE BLACK BOX, YOU RECEIVE
CALLS WITHOUT THE CALLER BEING CHARGED.  THIS IS USELESS FOR HACKERS -- ONLY
THE FREEPHONE PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED.  AN EARLIER MESSAGE TALK ABOUT THE WIRES
THAT GO TO THE INTERRUPTER SWITCH IN YOUR ROTARY DIAL.    THIS IS THE BASIC
INGREDIENT IN THE BLACK BOX.  THE ONLY ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED IS A BATTERY
TO POWER YOUR CARBON MIKE.  USING THE BLACK BOX, THE CALLEE GOES OFF-HOOK VERY
BRIEFLY, ENOUGH TO STOP THE RINGING (SOME BLACK BOXERS HAVE BEEN KNOW TO TALK
BETWEEN THE RINGS) BUT NOT ENOUGH TO SEND ANYTHING BACK DOWN THE TRUNK TO THE
CALLER SAYING THAT THE PHONE HAD BEEN ANSWERED AND HUNG UP.  THIS WORKS IN
STEP-BY-STEP (SXS) OFFICES, NO 1 AND 5 CROSSBAR, AND SOME NON-BELL OFFICES.
BELL'S ESS OFFICES ARE TOO CLEVER FOR THIS TRICK - YOUR PHONE ISN'T CONNECTED
TO THE INCOMING TRUNK UNLESS YOU ARE OFF-HOOK.

    MA BELL CATCHES BLACK BOXERS BY EXAMINING TRUNK RECORDS.  WHY WAS THE TRUNK
IN USE FOR SO LONG, BsUT NOT OFF HOOK?    IN NO 5 XBAR OFFICES THERE WILL ALSO BE
FUNNY ACCOUNT ENTRIES -- ORIGINATE FOLLOWED BY DISCONNECT -- A LONG TIME LATER
-- WITH NO ANSWER IN BETWEEN.  ESS OFFICES CAN GENERATE THIS DATA WHEN AUDITS
ARE DONE (A RANDOM OCCURANCE).

    THE BEST WAY TO AVOID BEING CAUGHT IS TO STAY AWAY FROM THIS ONE.  AT LEAST
KEEP YOUR CALLS SHORT -- THE LENGTH OF 15-20 RINGS OR SO.

    THE FINAL FAMOUS BOX IS THE RED BOX.  THIS IS THE ELECTRONIC EQUIVALENT OF
THE CHIME PEOPLE USED TO TAKE TO A PAY PHONE SO THAT THE OPERATOR THINKS MONEY
IS BEING DEPOSITED.  THE GONGS WERE EASY TO RECORD OR OBTAIN AND OPERATORS
COULD BE EASILY FOOLED.  THE NEWER PHONES WITH THE BEEPS MADE IT NECESSARY TO
COME UP WITH SOMETHING MORE PRECISE.

    PEOPLE GET CAUGHT WHEN AN OPERATOR GETS SUSPICIOUS AND CALLS SECURITY, OR
WHEN THE ACCOUNTING INFO FOR THE PHONE SAYS

    THERE ISN'T ENOUGH MONEY IN THE COIN BOX.  BELL SECURITY THEN STAKES OUT
THE PAY PHONE -- AND ZAP.  NEVER USE THE SAME PAY PHONE TWICE.    (END OF BASICS.
MORE SOMEDAY)

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