FBI's Secret Spyware Tracks Down Teen Who Made Bomb Threats

[Zenlitened]

FBI's Secret Spyware Tracks Down Teen Who Made Bomb Threats

Kevin Poulsen (Wired News) 07.18.07 | 2:00 AM

FBI agents trying to track the source of e-mailed bomb threats against a Washington high school last month sent the suspect a secret surveillance program designed to surreptitiously monitor him and report back to a government server, according to an FBI affidavit obtained by Wired News.

(snip)

In an affidavit seeking a search warrant to use the software, filed last month in U.S. District Court in the Western District of Washington, FBI agent Norman Sanders describes the software as a "computer and internet protocol address verifier," or CIPAV.

Sanders wrote that the spyware program gathers a wide range of information, including the computer's IP address; MAC address; open ports; a list of running programs; the operating system type, version and serial number; preferred internet browser and version; the computer's registered owner and registered company name; the current logged-in user name and the last-visited URL.

The CIPAV then settles into a silent "pen register" mode, in which it lurks on the target computer and monitors its internet use, logging the IP address of every computer to which the machine connects for up to 60 days.

Under a ruling this month by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, such surveillance -- which does not capture the content of the communications -- can be conducted without a wiretap warrant, because internet users have no "reasonable expectation of privacy" in the data when using the internet.

Link:
http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2007/07/fbi_spyware

:yoiks:

[wuushew]

1. The article is short on software specifics

What is the mechanism by which the software installs itself? If there are many suspects, does the FBI pay you money after they catch their man but your computer is still fucked up from their $pyware?

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. I met a guy just last night who told an interesting story

He went to a protest when dubya was here. He was standing next to guy who was holding a sign that said "KILL BUSH". He said he had never seen the guy before in his life and didn't talk to him. A few days later, the FBI came to this guy's house and wanted to know why he was holding a sign threatening the president. All they had was a surveillance photo and from that, they found out who he was and where he lived. And this guy had no idea they had even taken the picture of him. He said they weren't happy when he told them he wasn't holding the sign, and he had no idea who this other guy with the sign was. But if they could find the guy standing next to the guy holding the sign, it seems like they could find the guy holding the sign.

But the thing that got me was how fast they found this guy. :scared:

Oh and I absolutely do NOT approve of any signs like this. That is just way over the top.

[napi21]

3. I don't know the specifics of that protest, but when I went to a Dean

fundraiser when Howard came to Atlanta I had to show some pic ID. AFAIK no one made any copies of it, but I wouldn't be surprised if my mug wasn't on a camera somewhere. Could it have been something like that?

My other thought is that the SS saw the guy holding the sign and simply followed him and several of the people around him as they left. It's REALLY easy to find out who you are if you get a license plate #, follow the bus he got on, or if he's walking....you know what I mean.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. No it was just a protest

[wuushew]

5. Facial recognition software?

:shrug: The guy was within his rights to not say anything. It might have been worth it just to force the Feds to spill their technique of suspect determination.