DeSopa: a Firefox addon to easily bypass SOPA DNS blocking • Hacker News Board

Re: DeSopa: a Firefox addon to easily bypass SOPA DNS blocking

#21

Post by thebigshane » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 8:38 PM UTC

grecy wrote: post #19

thebigshane wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

SOPA (officially) only addresses foreign sites. So they order removal from DNS servers and interrupt advertising or other funding processes from US based companies. But the ability to change the content on a server that is hosted in another country (I believe, IANAL) is beyond their capability. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. Also, the issue between domestic and foreign sites is still a bit vague in regards t…

So for "infringing" sites hosted in the US (or on .com, .net, .org) What can SOPA do?

I would like to know as well but I think they are relying on the existing DMCA, which I think have similar provisions: domain seizures but no server manipulation.

Re: DeSopa: a Firefox addon to easily bypass SOPA DNS blocking

#22

Post by nostromo » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 8:44 PM UTC

Startup idea: $2 a month DNS servers based in Vancouver, Toronto, The Bahamas, and Tijuana.

Re: DeSopa: a Firefox addon to easily bypass SOPA DNS blocking

#23

Post by SquareWheel » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 9:06 PM UTC

vectorpush wrote: post #6

This is an outrage. We need to pass a bill that forces ISPs to scan for this plugin and report users to the government for prosecution. The nerve of these criminals.

Require all operating systems to include a program that searches for this plugin and removes it.

Then write another program to detect if the user uninstalls the first program.

Re: DeSopa: a Firefox addon to easily bypass SOPA DNS blocking

#24

Post by delimitted » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 9:08 PM UTC

lloeki wrote: post #20

CWuestefeld wrote: post #2

This program is a proof of concept that SOPA will not help prevent piracy. The program, implemented as a Firefox extension, simply contacts offshore domain name resolution services to obtain the IP address for any desired website Part of SOPA is a provision that any tools for circumventing the DNS hijacking are themselves banned. So this extension would have to be removed from the Mozilla repository. At best, it woul…

> So this extension would have to be removed from the Mozilla repository. IM unfamiliar with the bill, but given SOPA's wording, could it be that the whole of addons.mozilla.org, or even mozilla.org end up banned? > At best, it would be distributed underground If it were to happen, I envision a world where Aunt Jackie will ask little nephew Steve to enable her the full internets because she can't watch some photos on…

I think if SOPA passes, Mozilla will remove extensions such as this. I hope this extension is a deterrent to SOPA passing at all.

Re: DeSopa: a Firefox addon to easily bypass SOPA DNS blocking

#25

Post by finnw » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 9:13 PM UTC

delimitted wrote: post #24

lloeki wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So this extension would have to be removed from the Mozilla repository. IM unfamiliar with the bill, but given SOPA's wording, could it be that the whole of addons.mozilla.org, or even mozilla.org end up banned? > At best, it would be distributed underground If it were to happen, I envision a world where Aunt Jackie will ask little nephew Steve to enable her the full internets because she can't watch some photos on…

I think if SOPA passes, Mozilla will remove extensions such as this. I hope this extension is a deterrent to SOPA passing at all.

Most likely they will also be pressured into releasing a FireFox update that breaks previous versions as well (just so we cannot keep using older versions of the addon without also being stuck with an old/insecure version of the browser.)

Re: DeSopa: a Firefox addon to easily bypass SOPA DNS blocking

#26

Post by brettnak » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 9:14 PM UTC

nostromo wrote: post #22

Startup idea: $2 a month DNS servers based in Vancouver, Toronto, The Bahamas, and Tijuana.

I would pay for one based out of Vancouver.

Re: DeSopa: a Firefox addon to easily bypass SOPA DNS blocking

#27

Post by delimitted » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 9:20 PM UTC

delimitted wrote: post #24

lloeki wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So this extension would have to be removed from the Mozilla repository. IM unfamiliar with the bill, but given SOPA's wording, could it be that the whole of addons.mozilla.org, or even mozilla.org end up banned? > At best, it would be distributed underground If it were to happen, I envision a world where Aunt Jackie will ask little nephew Steve to enable her the full internets because she can't watch some photos on…

I think if SOPA passes, Mozilla will remove extensions such as this. I hope this extension is a deterrent to SOPA passing at all.

finnw, the code is actually pretty trivial and does not make use of very special functionality. Further, if SOPA does pass, many even more innovative programs will come out of the woodwork, at the OS layer. I think forcing a patch like that would be a hard sell.

Re: DeSopa: a Firefox addon to easily bypass SOPA DNS blocking

#28

Post by gkoberger » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 9:22 PM UTC

delimitted wrote: post #11

gkoberger wrote: post #3

SOPA specifically (without actually naming it) calls out addons.mozilla.org for the whole mafiaafire thing -- so under SOPA, this add-on wouldn't be allowed to stay up. "[T]his version targets software developers and distributors as well. It allows the Attorney General (doing Hollywood or trademark holders' bidding) to go after more or less anyone who provides or offers a product or service that could be used to get…

SOPA has not yet passed, it is not yet the law and I hope that Mozilla leaves it up for now. The DeSOPA program is meant to discourage passage of the bill by showing congress how easily it can be circumvented, so if it is removed after passage so be it. The link is: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/desopa/ or [add-ons mozilla base URL ] (slash) en-US (slash) firefox (slash) addon (slash) desopa (slash o…

I didn't mean at all to imply Mozilla would be taking it down; just that the government wasn't happy with the mafiaafire add-on and has included text in SOPA specifically targeted at making add-ons like this "illegal". Just another reason SOPA is bad :)

Re: DeSopa: a Firefox addon to easily bypass SOPA DNS blocking

#29

Post by telemekus » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 9:23 PM UTC

Wont SOPA take the Mozilla site offline for something like this?

Re: DeSopa: a Firefox addon to easily bypass SOPA DNS blocking

#30

Post by delimitted » Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 9:23 PM UTC

thebigshane wrote: post #16

delimitted wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, I agree. However at this point I am just hoping that it catches the attention of congressmen giving them another reason to rethink SOPA's feasibility before the vote

I like your idea but I sincerely believe that congress(wo)men will only think of this as another attempt by infringers to continue to infringe and steal. If anything, it may want them to wish they could prevent tools and techniques like this from from being available for "just anyone" to download.

Thanks, I agree. That occurred to me too. However, I hoped that it would still force them to rethink their implementation strategy forcing them to allocate more resources to further the effort and buying more time for public awareness.