0x80

This is one of the images of 0x80 included in the article. Common image programs, such as ExifTool, can easily extract the location (Roland, Oklahoma) where it was taken from IPTC metadata.

0x80 is a hacker interviewed by Brian Krebs of The Washington Post about his lucrative business in running "botnets", or networks of remotely controlled personal computers without the owner's consent. The article in the 2006 February Washington Post detailed 0x80's earnings of around $6,800 a month infecting controlled personal computers with adware and spyware in exchange for a per-computer commission.[1]

Leaked data

0x80 agreed to be interviewed for the Post article under the condition that he'd not be identified by name or home town.[1]

After a link to the article on Slashdot, a reader used the IPTC information encoded into the image to learn that Roland, Oklahoma had been entered as the picture's location.[2][3][4] The Washington Post removed all of the images from their site and commented "As you know we take our obligations with sources very seriously and I don't want to comment about any speculation about sources" in response to an interview question asking "Are you aware that the Post failed to scrub the metadata from the images used in this article, leaving information about your town?" (question text edited by The Washington Post; original is not available).[5]

References

  1. 1 2 Brian Krebs. "Invasion of the Computer Snatchers." The Washington Post. Washingtonpost Newsweek Interactive. 2006. Retrieved September 01, 2012 from HighBeam Research
  2. ↑ Nick Farrell, "Washington Post fails to protect Deep Throat", The Inquirer, Retrieved Feb 21 2006,
  3. ↑ Ryan Naraine, "Washington Post Caught in Metadata Gaffe?" Retrieved eWeek, Feb 22nd 2006,
  4. ↑ Steven Musil, "Hacking the hacker's identity" CNet, February 22, 2006,
  5. ↑ From interview of Brian Krebs at Washington Post

External links

Wikinews has related news: Washington Post source outed by SlashDot reader
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