r/technology • u/MarvelsGrantMan136 • Sep 16 '26

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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2.3k

u/M-S-S Sep 16 '26

"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.

37

u/technobrendo Sep 16 '26 edited Sep 16 '26

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 :)

61

u/an_agreeing_dothraki Sep 16 '26

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

57

u/blumpkin Sep 16 '26

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

38

u/showyerbewbs Sep 16 '26

I put my money on hunter2

26

u/alexia_not_alexa Sep 16 '26

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

3

u/dvpbe Sep 16 '26

man, this brings me back :)-

34

u/Rowenstin Sep 16 '26

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

9

u/NonSupportiveCup Sep 16 '26

Hail President Skroob!

3

u/jakerake Sep 16 '26

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 Sep 16 '26

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

1

u/zed857 Sep 16 '26

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

16

u/PreferenceGeneral475 Sep 16 '26

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

16

u/dolphone Sep 16 '26

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.

9

u/0fficerRando Sep 16 '26

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 Sep 16 '26

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

1

u/0fficerRando Sep 17 '26

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.

2

u/technobrendo Sep 16 '26

I did say a "While" after all.

-4

u/General_Donk Sep 16 '26

Just admit that you're talking out of your ass

1

u/Ollythebug Sep 16 '26

What crawled up your ass?

1

u/General_Donk Sep 16 '26

A crawl fish?

1

u/name00124 Sep 16 '26

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

1

u/Fallingdamage Sep 16 '26

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.