Man snipes expired FBI domain used with seized sites such as Megaupload in an auction, redirects to - Polidicks

[url]http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/05/after-fbi-domain-expires-seized-megaupload-com-serves-up-porn/[/url] [quote=Ars Technica]Earlier this week, something suspicious started happening with Web addresses related to sites seized by the FBI from Megaupload and a number of online gambling sites. Instead of directing browsers to a page with an FBI banner, they started dropping Web surfers onto a malicious feed of Web advertisements—some of them laden with malware. The hijacking of the Megaupload domains wasn't the result of some sophisticated hack. Based on evidence collected by Ars, it appears someone at the FBI's Cyber Division failed to renew the domain registration for CIRFU.NET, the domain which in turn hosted Web and name servers used to redirect traffic headed to seized domains. As soon as they expired, they were snatched up in a GoDaddy auction by a self-described "black hat SEO marketer," a British ex-pat who calls himself "Earl Grey." As of Thursday afternoon, all of the server names associated with the domain no longer resolve to Internet addresses. GoDaddy has apparently suspended the domain registration, and Earl Grey has been ranting about it ever since on Twitter. The CIRFU.NET domain currently remains in limbo. Ars attempted to reach the person behind the domain grab, but got no response. Requests for comment from the FBI also went unanswered. But DNS records and details provided by GoDaddy.com's security staff paint a pretty clear picture of what happened—and it's not very pretty.[/quote]

Wonder how much money he made and if he can keep it Can't see why it would be illegal to do this.

I mean, I'm not saying what he did was right but I'm failing to see how it's legal to just revoke somebody's property after you've transferred it to them without valid cause. It isn't as if this went to court.

I hate people who do that kind of thing, who try to attack the public at the first chance they're given. Creating or distributing malware should be punishable by time in prison.

You know your kinda careless when a the "Black Hat Hacker", leaves his calling card on the domain registration.

[QUOTE=mokkan;47828187]Wonder how much money he made and if he can keep it Can't see why it would be illegal to do this.[/QUOTE] I think it's illegal to voluntarily distribute malware.

Malware sucks but this guy's name is awesome [sp]Tea,[/sp] Earl Grey[sp], hot.[/sp]

[QUOTE]a British ex-pat who calls himself "Earl Grey."[/QUOTE] ....quintessentially British.

[QUOTE=Disgruntled;47828381]Creating or distributing malware should be punishable by time in prison.[/QUOTE] Creating [i]can[/i] be (sometimes creating malware for learning purposes is needed, so it has some prerequisites) but distributing absolutely is already punishable by time in prison.

[QUOTE=s0beit;47829230]Creating [i]can[/i] be (sometimes creating malware for learning purposes is needed, so it has some prerequisites) but distributing absolutely is already punishable by time in prison.[/QUOTE] Well then, find the fucker and lock him up.

-snip-

I would have just rehosted meatspin so when the FBI banner was loaded from a site it'd just be a twirling cock. No harm in that, redirecting to malware is just a douche move.

[QUOTE=Disgruntled;47828381]I hate people who do that kind of thing, who try to attack the public at the first chance they're given. Creating or distributing malware should be punishable by time in prison.[/QUOTE] It kinda is, which is why the FBI and the hosting services shut him down as soon as they found out.

I think you're all forgetting that not all malware is illegal. Very rarely is malware a self-executing, self-spreading ransomware with credit card fraud and criminal motives. Most of the time it's just a "Consumer-friendly News and Promotion Viewer" that requires you to either explicitly agree to its installation, or agree to a step in another program's installation, that additionally installs this, "For your own convenience". Hell, even Flash will on default install McAfee, I'd consider that malware. And that's just the thing. The term 'malware' itself is merely subjective.

[QUOTE=AnonymaPizza;47834032] And that's just the thing. The term 'malware' itself is merely subjective.[/QUOTE] Malware is the software equivalent of "bad guy"