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Barackobama.com 'Hack' Is a Hoax
Washington Post ^ | October 27, 2009 | Brian Krebs

Posted on 10/29/2009 12:32:10 PM PDT by nickcarraway

A hacker's claim that he compromised the successor to President Obama's campaign Web site appears to be a hoax, according to information that surfaced since the matter came to light early Monday.

The kerfuffle started when a hacker and blogger with a history of posting evidence of security vulnerabilities in popular and high-traffic Web sites published evidence indicating that poor security at barackobama.com had exposed internal databases at the site.

The hacker, identified only as "Unu," claimed that a security flaw in barackobama.com allows anyone to view the user names and passwords needed to administer the site. With that access, an attacker could view database information, upload content to the site - including malicious software - or simply deface the landing page with digital graffiti.

Barackobama.com is now managed by the Democratic National Committee's Organizing for America. Hari Sevugan, national press secretary for the DNC, dismissed the claim, and said the DNC has no evidence that the site is insecure or has been compromised.

"We take security seriously and look closely at any reported incident," Sevugan said. "Based on a number of incorrect assertions, the claim in this case does not seem to be credible. There has been no security breach."

Several tech bloggers seized on the claim, and at least one noted Web site security expert vouched for the hacker's prior exploits. Jeremiah Grossman, chief technology officer for WhiteHat Security, a Web security firm based in Santa Clara, Calif., said Unu's claims have a history of being spot-on.

"This Unu guy...I've been following him for a while, and his other stuff in the past seems to have been legit and checked out," Grossman said.

(Excerpt) Read more at voices.washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: breakingnews; denialaintariver; hackers; hoax; obama; unu; wed

1 posted on 10/29/2009 12:32:11 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

If you want to see them panic, tell them you have identified the nationalities of those who sent campaign contributions through the Obama website in 2008.


2 posted on 10/29/2009 12:36:48 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (I refuse to "reduce my carbon footprint" all while Lenin remains in an airconditioned shrine)
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To: nickcarraway
the successor to President Obama's campaign Web site

Wow -who is the successor to O'bama and where is his website?

3 posted on 10/29/2009 12:37:13 PM PDT by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: Izzy Dunne
Does the website come before or after TOTUS in line of accession for electronic devices?
4 posted on 10/29/2009 12:38:11 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (I refuse to "reduce my carbon footprint" all while Lenin remains in an airconditioned shrine)
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To: nickcarraway

Wow if this is true I wonder how much more invasive has the White House taken this in their internet service from the public to them. Anybody contacting the White House by internet or participating in any internet communication with White House polls, contributions or anything has to be careful not to sign up for a password, name, etc.


5 posted on 10/29/2009 12:42:27 PM PDT by classified
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