SETI@Home Cheaters

from the get-a-life dept

Apparently, a lot of people who use SETI@Home cheat to bring their rankings up on the leader board. Who are these people and why are they doing this? What a waste of time for absolutely nothing. A lot of SETI@Home's resources are now focused on preventing cheating and on security. If people are really interested in helping the SETI project, then they should help. If they want to be a fake "leader" somewhere, why don't they go try to be "first posters" over at Slashdot. That'll show people how cool you really are.
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  • identicon
    FIRST POST, 15 Feb 2001 @ 10:14pm

    FIRST POST

    FIRST POST!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    todd, 16 Feb 2001 @ 8:01pm

    No Subject Given

    Two of the cheaters are from "Arstechnica Team Eggroll" -- type it at Yahoo and follow the link, I'm lazy... After they finished cheating at SETI, they posted "ok, now off to cheat at Folding". Sure enough, they've fucked that up. They need lives...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 Apr 2001 @ 12:54am

    Re: this article

    04-06-2001 team of hackers (UFCF) once again found
    way around SETI@HOME. Its been proven over and
    over. SETI@HOME YOU LOSE HACKERS WIN!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      FalconFly, 28 May 2001 @ 12:29pm

      Re: this article

      BOARD ADMINISTRATORS !

      I need to have any possibly logged Information about the previous posting "Anonymous Coward".

      This subject is CONFIRMED to be a member of the above mentioned group. This subject is WANTED by all means!

      I have had mail contact and followed its trace since the beginning of all this.

      If you have logged information, being it only for statistical purposes, please Contact me, or one of the SETI@Home officials!

      Even if hardly useful, it is a piece of the puzzle to narrow down the search, and put together the path of destruction these people try to leave behind!

      With the help of international ISP's and Routers, there WILL BE a chance of tracing down its origin one day !!

      Thanks in advance.
      FalconFly
      Team Erster Kontakt, Germany
      www.ersterkontakt.de

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous, 4 Aug 2001 @ 8:19pm

        Re: this article

        Good luck idiot.

        Heres how the exploit was done.

        SETI@HOME EXPLOIT/Hack (c) Copyright 2oO1
        All rights reserved UFCF Team 2oO1 Trademark UFCF
        Team 2oO1, UFCF, UFCF Crew


        Exploit Date ............ May 31, 2001
        Released by ............. UFCF Team 2001 (Canada)

        WARNING! WE NOT HELD RESPONSIBLE! USE AT OWN RISK






        Exploit Seti@home user information....... 1
        Cheating work units ..................... 2

























        1

        SETI@HOME EXPLOIT:
        ------------------

        - Explains how exploit works. NOTE: EXPLOIT ONLY
        WORKS UNDER UNIX.
        - Change line 2 (any number 1 thru 3 million),
        the software will fill in the rest.
        You have full information about the user.

        - Do not change Line 1, 3 Thru 18.

        key.sah - contains the encryption key.
        Changes all the time.
        lock.sah - nothing just lock file.
        outfile.sah - contains results (final product)
        userinfo.sah - contains user information
        (about user)

        - line 1:
        - line 2: change id=
        - line 3: key=
        - line 4: email_addr=
        - line 5: name=
        - line 6: Url=
        - line 7: country=
        - line 8: postal code=
        - line 9: show_name=
        - line 10: show_email=
        - line 11: venue=
        - line 12: register_time=
        - line 13: last_wu_time=
        - line 14: last_result_time=
        - line 15: nwus=
        - line 16: nresults=
        - line 17: total_cpu=
        - line 18: params_index=
        Temp.sah - line 2, 3

















        2

        CHEATING WORK UNITS.
        --------------------

        - EXPLOIT ONLY WORKS UNDER UNIX.
        - This explain how cheat work units.

        STEP 1:
        - Download seti@home software
        http://www.setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu
        - unzip & un-tar setiathome software
        - rename setiathome directory "seti"
        - make temp directory

        - Run seti@home software using switch:
        ./setiathome -verbose -stop_after_process
        Stop after current WU - do not send work unit.

        - After work unit is complete:
        copy all *.sah files to temp directory




        STEP 2:
        This sections explains how exploit the hole:
        in your temp directory will contain the
        following files:

        key.sah - Security key. Changes all the time
        lock.sah - Lock file (check seti@home
        running)
        outfile.sah -
        pid.sah - Pid/Process id seti@home software
        running
        result.sah - Results - sends back to server
        result.header Result_headers - send back to
        server
        state.sah - user_info.sah - Contatins "User
        Id, Key, Email address, Full name,
        URL, City/Provice, Postal code,
        Show name (Yes/No), Show email
        (Yes/No), venue, Registered time
        Last work unit (Last work unit you
        return), Last result time (Time
        took to complete), nwus (Country
        code), nresults (number result you
        return), total_cpu Total cpu
        calc.), params_index (unknown)
        work_unit.sah Work unit
        wtemp.sah Work unit (output version)




        STEP 3:
        - Cut&Pase User ID & User Key (user_info.sah)
        change following files:

        Filename: Header: Lines Change:
        Result.sah: user_id 2
        user_key 3, 17
        Result_header.sah: user_id 5
        Temp.sah: id 2
        key 3
        Wtemp.sah: user_id 5



        STEP 4:
        Change the following files:
        Filename: Header: Line change:
        result.sah name= 16

        *READ Technical notes, more information*
        1-8
        Contains date (day, month, year, 2 letter)
        *Do not change*
        10-14
        Contains work unit id (add+1)
        16-20
        Contains work unit id *Do not change*
        22-27
        Contains work unit id *Do not change*
        29-31 *Do not change*

        result_header.sah name= 4 *See result.sah*
        work_unit.sah name= 4 *See result.sah*





        Technical Notes:
        ----------------
        NOTE: Software will report (attempt send dup)
        to trick the software you must change
        work_unit.sah line 4:
        (#1) ie. name=01jan01aa.12715.33457.636084.195
        ^ add +1 = 12716 and keep adding +1
        name=01jan01aa.12716.33457.636084.195

        If you run out numbers in field 3
        ie. name=01jan01.12716.00000.636084.195
        ^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^
        add+1 | | |
        |- reset using 00000
        | |- leave
        |- leave alone
        name=01jan01.12717.00000..636084.195

        if you run out of numbers in field 2&3 change
        01jan01 02jan01 and so on.

        ie. name=02jan01.12716.12715.636084.195


        Technical:
        ie. name=01jan01 .12716.12716.636084.195 *SEE TABLE BELOW*
        ^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^
        1 2 3 4 5 6 7
        Table:
        1=Day
        2=Month
        3=Year
        4=Add +1 work unit number
        5=Do not change (unknown)
        6=Do not change (unknown)
        7=Do not change (unknown)

        STEP 5:
        Copy following files /seti directory:

        key.sah
        lock.sah
        outfile.sah
        pid.sah
        result.sah
        result_header.sah
        state.sah
        temp.sah
        user_info.sah
        version.sah
        work_unit.sah
        wtemp.sah

        YOUR ALL DONE. KEEP ADDING +1 IN STEP 4...
        ---------------------------------------------

        link to this | view in chronology ]


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