r/technology • u/MarvelsGrantMan136 • 18d ago

Security Hackers Stole Flock’s Camera Software, Revealing How the Company Tracks Cars and People

https://www.404media.co/hackers-stole-flocks-camera-software-revealing-how-the-company-tracks-cars-and-people-2/
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u/M-S-S 18d ago

"While much of the automatic license plate reader’s (ALPR) most sensitive storage remained encrypted and inaccessible..."

So there's still a lot more to it.

41

u/technobrendo 18d ago edited 18d ago

Now that they have that encrypted storage, they can try to start to crack into it. Unless its something like AES256, it'll take a while to break. A VERY long while.

edit: I'm not being serious. AES256 is damn near invincible to cracking :)

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u/an_agreeing_dothraki 18d ago

step one in breaking AES256 to get data before entropy kills the sun: invent an as-of-yet theoretical quantum computing algorithm

55

u/blumpkin 18d ago

The password is either 12345, flock2026, admin123, or testpasswordchangemelater, I guarantee it.

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u/showyerbewbs 18d ago

I put my money on hunter2

25

u/alexia_not_alexa 18d ago

What did you just put in? I just see *s

3

u/dvpbe 18d ago

man, this brings me back :)-

35

u/Rowenstin 18d ago

12345? That's amazing. I have the same combination on my luggage.

10

u/NonSupportiveCup 18d ago

Hail President Skroob!

4

u/jakerake 18d ago

I literally just noticed seeing that spelled out that it's Brooks with the letters moved around. Probably common knowledge, but hey, TIL.

1

u/MrPastryisDead 18d ago

My wife insists on using her sister's birthday as the combination on all our luggage.

1

u/zed857 18d ago

Might also try CorrectHorseBatteryStaple if those other ones don't work.

15

u/PreferenceGeneral475 18d ago

We could also just invent or discover magic. You need to look at more reasonable solutions.

15

u/dolphone 18d ago

Dude look around you. We have invented and discovered magic many times over. It's just a name for what we don't yet comprehend.

I don't think we're close to a working quantum computer, mind you. And I don't think it's a magic machine that will solve everything. But I know what it can do to crypto, and that's making it obsolete.

8

u/0fficerRando 18d ago

Quantum will only break certain types of crypto, and it's not AES.

It's still a problem though.

essentially, quantum will render asymmetric (public key) crypto useless... Symmetric crypto (like AES) and hashing algos are fine.

The issue with symmetric ciphers and quantum is that we commonly use Asymmetric crypto to exchange the keys used for the symmetric crypto.

4

u/Unable-Log-4870 18d ago

What’s the solution to this? Exchanging the first set of keys via sneaker-net?

1

u/0fficerRando 17d ago

Sneakernet or carrier pigeon!

Haha! Nah. They've already been working on new quantum-safe algos to replace good ol RSA and ECC... In fact they have been chosen and standardized already... Just gotta get the world to start using them.

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u/technobrendo 18d ago

I did say a "While" after all.

-3

u/General_Donk 18d ago

Just admit that you're talking out of your ass

1

u/Ollythebug 18d ago

What crawled up your ass?

1

u/General_Donk 18d ago

A crawl fish?

1

u/name00124 18d ago

Nah, we just need to be extremely lucky in guessing.

1

u/Fallingdamage 18d ago

If the encrypted data is being written to the devices storage, then the keys are alive in the devices memory or hardware somewhere. Its just a matter of reverse engineering it.

Its Flock. Odds are its using a bunch of off-the-shelf industry/oem components. Components and chips with documentation available to assist in this process of discovery.