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-
- ==Phrack Inc.==
- Volume Three, Issue Thirty-one, Phile #2 of 10
- -*[ P H R A C K # 3 1 P R O P H I L E ]*-
- -*[ June 1, 1990 ]*-
- -*[Phz]*-
- ---[ Markus Hess ]---
- Recently the Phrack editors had the opportunity to talk to Markus Hess in
- his tiny Hannover flat. This special edition of the Phrack Prophile details
- our conversation, as well as general background information about the German
- Hacker.
- This Phrack Prophile is not in the same format as previous ones because of
- the nature of the profile. In the next issue, we will reform back to the
- orginal creator's format.
- AGE: 26
- HEIGHT: 5' 10"
- HAIR COLOR: BROWN
- EYES: BROWN
- FROM: Hannover, West Germany
- PAST EMPLOYMENT: Software developer in Hannover.
- PEOPLE: Stephen Winero, Walu Holland (Other CCC members)
- STRENGTHS: AT&T Unix, VAX, SunOs and BSD os's
-
- Hess, most well known as the hacker who's exploits are detailed in
- Clifford Stoll's _The_Cuckoo's_Egg_, "is as paranoid on the telephone as he
- is on the computer." Although he was very reluctant to talk to us, we did
- manage to talk to him about hacking and _The_Cuckoo's_Egg_.
- Ringing Hanover..
- RING
- RING
- RING
- ANSWERED
- HESS: Hallo?
- PHRACK: Is this Markus Hess?
- HESS: Yes.
- PHRACK: Do you smoke Benson & Hedges?
- (At this point we weren't sure it was actually him)
- HESS: Yes, who is this?
- PHRACK: We are calling from the USA, we want to ask you some questions.
- We talk to hackers in the USA.
- HESS: I won't have anything to do with hackers anymore. I have talked in
- court earlier this year.
- PHRACK: Did you know you were in a novel about a hacker in the US?
- HESS: Novel? Yes, I know of a novel.
- PHRACK: Have you read the book?
- HESS: Yes I have read the book.
- PHRACK: Is it all true? Is it all true? Do you think Cliff lied or tried
- to exaggerate in the book?
- HESS: Yes, I think so.
- HESS: Yes, He lied.
- PHRACK: Have you ever talked to Stoll?
- HESS: I have talked to him, but not privately. I don't want to talk about
- this.
- PHRACK: Have you ever seen Cliff Stoll?
- HESS: Yes I have seen him.
- (We might think this from the back of the book)
- PHRACK: He's goofy looking isn't he?
- HESS: goofy? I don't understand.
- PHRACK: Anyway, so you think he lied in the book?
- HESS: Yes, he lied.
- PHRACK: What did he lie about?
- HESS: I don't want to talk about this.
- PHRACK: Okay, are you in the Chaos Computer Club?
- HESS: No, I won't have anything to do with hackers any more.
- PHRACK: Were you ever involved with them?
- HESS: No. I was not in it.
- PHRACK: Do you know anyone in it [the CCC]?
- HESS: Yes. I really must go now.
- PHRACK: Who do you know in it [the CCC]?
- HESS: Stephen Winero.
- PHRACK: Is that it?
- HESS: I know Walu.
- PHRACK: Hmm. Are you being watched?
- HESS: I think so. I can not talk about this.
- PHRACK: Were you scared of going to jail?
- HESS: jail?
- PHRACK: Prison, were you scared of going to prison?
- HESS: I don't know.
- PHRACK: What happened in your words at court?
- HESS: In your words? I don't understand.
- PHRACK: What happened in court?
- HESS: I don't understand.
- PHRACK: Forget it.
- PHRACK: Do you still have your computer?
- HESS: No. I don't have any computer here.
- PHRACK: Did you think they were going to catch you?
- HESS: No. I knew nothing of it.
- PHRACK: Has any other hackers tried to contact you in the U.S.?
- HESS: No. You are the first to call.
- PHRACK: So is it my understanding that Stoll lied in parts of the book?
- HESS: Lied? Yes he lied.
- PHRACK: Why do you think he would lie?
- HESS: I don't know.
- PHRACK: Do you think he made you look destructive?
- HESS: Yes. He made me look mean.
- PHRACK: Are you? Mean that is?
- (Chuckle)
- HESS: No. He made me look like I was a criminal.
- PHRACK: Why did you do it Markus?
- HESS: Do what?
- PHRACK: Hack all over the network like that?
- HESS: I cannot answer.
- PHRACK: Do they call you a liar in court?
- HESS: Yes. They call me a liar.
- PHRACK: What are you going to do now?
- HESS: I don't understand.
- PHRACK: Are you finished with hacking?
- HESS: Yes, I have nothing to do with hackers.
- PHRACK: Was someone helping you hack?
- HESS: I cannot answer.
- PHRACK: How come you cannot answer that question?
- HESS: I cannot.
- PHRACK: Yes, well, Many in the U.S. [hackers] don't like the Novel.
- PHRACK: What do you think of it?
- HESS: It is not true.
- HESS: I don't know.
- PHRACK: Who taught you the EMACS hole?
- HESS: I cannot say.
- PHRACK: Then you must have been working with someone, correct?
- HESS: No, I cannot answer.
- PHRACK: Is the police comming down on you hard?
- HESS: police? I don't und...
- PHRACK: Yeah, yeah. The law? Are they being hard on you.
- HESS: Yes.
- <SILENCE>
- HESS: I must go now.
- PHRACK: Can we call you later?
- HESS: Umm, I don't know. No.
- PHRACK: Why not?
- HESS: I cannot answer.
- PHRACK: What about in a couple of months?
- HESS: Yes, in a couple of months you can call.
- PHRACK: Your not moving are you?
- (Knowing that Germans rarely ever move and their phone
- numbers never change this was a silly Q.)
- HESS: No. I no move.
- PHRACK: Okay, then we'll call you in a couple of months.
- HESS: Okay. I must go.
- PHRACK: Wait a second.
- HESS: Yes?
- PHRACK: Do you have anything to say to American Hackers?
- HESS: No.
- HESS: I have nothing to do with hackers.
- PHRACK: Well, good luck.
- HESS: Yes, you too.
- <CLICK>
-
- Unfortunately, our lack of German and Hess' weak English made
- communication difficult. He is a very paranoid person who was obviously
- uncomfortable talking to us.
- Those of you that have read Stoll's book know that Hess was involved
- with hacks on American Military Computers, and indirectly involved with
- Computer Espionage and the KGB. Phrack strongly discourages trying to
- hack Military computers and particularly takes offense to computer
- espionage.
- From the information we have gathered from him and by talking to him,
- we feel that Markus Hess wasn't as smart as Clifford Stoll portrayed him to be.
- We also feel that Markus was not working alone and that others were involved.
- This however we cannot be 100% sure because of our communication faults.
-
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