this post was submitted on 28 Aug 2023
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[–] [email protected] 351 points 1 year ago (19 children)

The story is more interesting than the title suggests! This guy was arrested for hacking two telecom companies, got released under investigation, then immediately hacked Nvidia before being put under house arrest. After that, he was relocated to a hotel (due to being doxxed) where all he had to work with was a Fire TV stick, which he promptly then used to hack Rockstar.

All in all, he's believed to have stolen $14 million+. By the way... he's 18, autistic, and enrolled in a special education school.

[–] [email protected] 103 points 1 year ago (1 children)

After that, he was relocated to a hotel (due to being doxxed) where all he had to work with was a Fire TV stick, which he promptly then used to hack Rockstar.

Fuckin' bravo. I mean, don't do that, but on a purely technical level - nice.

[–] [email protected] 66 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The fact he used a FireTV stick to hack Rockstar is pretty impressive lol

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I’m guessing those things run Linux. So you would just need a shell.

Though I’m guessing term of his house arrest didn’t allow him to have a keyboard. That part has me curious.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They run Android, so not really standard Linux, but yeah.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Install an Android app that lets you ssh into something, bingo bango, you have a full Linux terminal

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

It says he used cloud services so probably only needed a web browser

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Rock, fire, stick... there's a theme

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[–] [email protected] 61 points 1 year ago

Prior to reading your comment, I considered myself to be a skilled software developer.

[–] [email protected] 61 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Da fuck....

Waiting for the movie btw 🍿.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Exploit boogaloo

[–] [email protected] 34 points 1 year ago (4 children)

It always warms my heart when a single person is able to outsmart large multi-million/billion dollar tech companies like Nvidia and Rockstar. Really shows how piss poor these companies security can be.

I would definitely look to hire that kid with a high wage just to make sure he doesn't hacke me again, if I were one of the companies he hacked into. Companies should really think about trying to hire these hackers because then the threats against them might go down ever so slightly.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Counterpoint: he got caught. Whatever his offensive capabilities are, his security posture is evidently lacking. Recruiting a glass cannon like that might not work out if you're looking for help with security hardening.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Counter-counterpoint: he could work as a pentester, where his sole purpose is to just break into things.

Leave the policy making and actual hardening to someone else.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Then comes the issue of a rogue pentester selling his clients zerodays into black market for crypto. Don't know if the myth of being hired by government agencies is true.

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago

I would definitely look to hire that kid with a high wage just to make sure he doesn’t hacke me again, if I were one of the companies he hacked into. Companies should really think about trying to hire these hackers because then the threats against them might go down ever so slightly.

I understand your thought, but some people just want to watch the world burn and you definitely don't want to bring that sort inside.
This guy seems to be driven, capable and lacking the common sense to know when to stop.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Its kind of inevitable, you know that meme about the overlap between the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists? Well the same is true for secure working practices and the dumbest/laziest employees. Any system too secure will also be enough of a pain in the ass that some people will start doing stupid shit that nullifies that security.

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I want this guy's energy. Nothing could stop him!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

If you’re autistic, the outside world is horrifying to you and technology is the only thing you care about, so that’s what you’ll eat, drink and breathe all the time. It’s not really about the energy, it’s about the environment and your ability or inability to tolerate certain aspects of it.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Jesus Christ, this man is a criminal Tony Starks

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

With the right education he could be the genius we need. Instead of prison he needs a decent mentor.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

seriously, lets put this kid to good use.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 year ago

Fucking legend

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago

This guy was arrested for hacking two telecom companies, got released under investigation, then immediately hacked Nvidia before being put under house arrest. After that, he was relocated to a hotel (due to being doxxed) where all he had to work with was a Fire TV stick, which he promptly then used to hack Rockstar.

All in all, he’s believed to have stolen $14 million+. By the way… he’s 18, autistic, and enrolled in a special education schoo

wild

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago

This has to be a movie plot..

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago

Seems like a person I like and would love to smoke a joint with, lol

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

The story is more interesting than the title suggests! This guy was arrested for hacking two telecom companies, got released under investigation, then immediately hacked Nvidia before being put under house arrest. After that, he was relocated to a hotel (due to being doxxed) where all he had to work with was a Fire TV stick, which he promptly then used to hack Rockstar.

All in all, he’s believed to have stolen $14 million+. By the way… he’s 18, autistic, and enrolled in a special education school.

Heh Kid's handle better be dr0id or some shit: "give me an android terminal and I'll hack the world"

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

Uhhhh so when’s that movie coming out? I’d watch the fuck outta that!

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

All in all, he’s believed to have stolen $14 million+. By the way… he’s 18, autistic, and enrolled in a special education school.

that kid's my hero

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

This is a bit of a crossover ep between the movie Hackers and the DS9 ep where Julian basically got introduced to a group of obviously coded autistic anarchists.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

I feel guilty now because I bought a new monitor because my old screen space wasn't cutting it.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

He bought the fire stick from the shop right next to the hotel... how the heck did he get Linux on it? Or are they selling those bootleg fire sticks?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

He used a rented server to hack Rockstar, the FireStick was merely a means to connect to it.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The Fed will offer this guy a job. He's got a future.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Uh, have you ever seen a federal job application requirements?

#1: not a felon

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

That's only for the plebs that apply through the normal means, not for savants whose skill balances the risk - they can put a few agents to track what this dude is doing, but its much harder to find another guy eith this much skill whos also not a felon.

Also this is all speculation ie I pulled it out of my ass but doesn't it sound plausible?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

It doesn't sound like he's been convicted of a crime yet...

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