Thousands of computers now compromised with leaked NSA tools, researchers say • Hacker News Board

Re: Thousands of computers now compromised with leaked NSA tools, researchers say

#171

Post by kakarot » Fri, Apr 28, 2017, 7:52 AM UTC

lern_too_spel wrote: post #170

kakarot wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Surveillance != wiretapping. MYSTIC is the wiretapping program I was referring to. Only MYSTIC. It is indeed wiretapping because they recorded calls and SMS. You are difficult to argue with because you continue to either misinterpret or warp my words. Goodbye now.

You originally claimed that the NSA was performing mass wiretapping on AT&T and Verizon. MYSTIC has nothing to do with those companies or with Americans, as I've already stated. It appears that you finally agree both that PRISM isn't mass wiretapping and that AT&T and Verizon aren't being mass wiretapped. Good. You appear to have learned something even if you now claim to have known all along.

Listen. I said "mass wiretapping" and "exploitation" thru vehicles like AT&T and Verizon. And then in a separate paragraph I spoke about PRISM. At no point did I call PRISM a wiretapping program. And it is 100% accurate that the NSA and other agencies have wiretapped targets, many targets, through telecoms. I also provided you with various citations showing different government surveillance programs and their various forms of reach. Understand what I am saying here. I have not waivered in my position once.

Stop fucking putting words in my mouth.

You've just got to get your last word in to frame the conversation in a way that doesn't give you cognitive dissonance, don't you? OK. Go ahead and have it. Claim I am saying whatever you want me to say.

This argument has been wholly destructive and not the least bit constructive, because you constantly derail it at every turn and put me in a position of defending the same thing over and over instead of covering new ground. This is a common tactic used by authoritarian and conservative types across the world and I don't have time to play ball.

Have fun, kid.

Re: Thousands of computers now compromised with leaked NSA tools, researchers say

#172

Post by lern_too_spel » Fri, Apr 28, 2017, 8:47 PM UTC

kakarot wrote: post #171

lern_too_spel wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You originally claimed that the NSA was performing mass wiretapping on AT&T and Verizon. MYSTIC has nothing to do with those companies or with Americans, as I've already stated. It appears that you finally agree both that PRISM isn't mass wiretapping and that AT&T and Verizon aren't being mass wiretapped. Good. You appear to have learned something even if you now claim to have known all along.

Listen. I said "mass wiretapping" and "exploitation" thru vehicles like AT&T and Verizon. And then in a separate paragraph I spoke about PRISM. At no point did I call PRISM a wiretapping program. And it is 100% accurate that the NSA and other agencies have wiretapped targets, many targets, through telecoms. I also provided you with various citations showing different government surveillance programs and their various…

OK, given what you claim to have known all along, what do you find bad about what they're doing? Everything you now say you've known all along is perfectly legal and what a spy agency is supposed to do.

Re: Thousands of computers now compromised with leaked NSA tools, researchers say

#173

Post by davidf18 » Sun, Apr 30, 2017, 5:28 PM UTC

i336_ wrote: post #156

davidf18 wrote: post #146

I am worried about the firmware of Intel processors which I believe have had firmware since the mid-1990s or a bit later. Is this possible and are there tools "in the wild" that are capable of doing this? Does Intel do some sort of checksum to ensure that this cannot happen?

Not sure whether you're referring to CPU microcode or the OS in the management engine. Microcode is remarkably tiny and heavily encrypted. I've never heard of anyone dropping hints as to what's in it, so if that's permeable at all I get the impression you'd probably have to have some rather nice friends to learn about it. Regarding ME security, here's some interesting info I found a while ago: https://news.ycombinato…

Thank you. I was thinking about CPU microcode, but the problem would apply to the ME, I'd guess.

Seems to me the CPU microcode could be hackable given NSA or Israeli govt resources.