

All Visitors to Sochi Olympics Immediately Hacked [video] - Mc_Big_G
http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/54273832/#54273832

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NathanKP
Assuming this isn't just FUD, I want to see some more details about the
devices used, whether they were properly patched with the latest security
updates, and also some details about the attack vectors. Sure if you are
searching the web and visiting sketchy websites that are hosting malware using
an unpatched device with no security updates installed you are probably going
to have a bad time. But that's the case in the US too, and not a distinctly
Russian problem as this is trying to claim.

I highly doubt that a properly updated device being used to browse legitimate
websites will be "hacked within minutes" as this sensationalized report
claims.

Edit:

I found this longer version of the story:

[http://www.nbcnews.com/watch/nbc-news-web-extra/honeypot-
tes...](http://www.nbcnews.com/watch/nbc-news-web-extra/honeypot-tests-
likelihood-of-hackings-in-russia-137595971642)

Basically they went to a website on the phone and ignored warnings in order to
download and execute a malicious APK. On the PC they followed a link in a
scammy looking phishing email to download and open a malicious Office
document. On the Mac they visited a website that had an ad suggesting that
they needed an "antivirus program" so they downloaded and installed it.

So yeah the devices were hacked within 24 hours, but because of stupidity, not
because Sochi is especially dangerous. Nothing can help you if you
deliberately ignore warnings, and deliberately install Trojan horse malware.
The exact same thing would have happened to him in the US.

~~~
TheBiv
I agree with your thought about properly updated device. I simply don't
believe that more than 5% of people (making up a number) have all of their
devices properly updated, so this type of report is a fair warning to all.

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evan_
Thorough debunking:
[http://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/1x2t3j/all_visitors_...](http://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/1x2t3j/all_visitors_to_sochi_olympics_hacked_immediately/cf7sbwo)

~~~
bilbo0s
Wow...

I guess you can't really trust anything once the propaganda ministries are
involved.

Seriously though... if the reddit is true... and it sounds VERY plausible...
that report was just HORRIBLE journalism.

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NSAID
The security consultant is on Twitter[1]. It looks like he's explaining things
weren't "automatic"[2] and it was FUD ("TV's goal is to make it
interesting.")[3] and "tv magic"[4]

1\. [https://twitter.com/lowcalspam](https://twitter.com/lowcalspam)

2\.
[https://twitter.com/lowcalspam/status/431086164905181184](https://twitter.com/lowcalspam/status/431086164905181184)

3\.
[https://twitter.com/lowcalspam/status/431114615893028864](https://twitter.com/lowcalspam/status/431114615893028864)

4\.
[https://twitter.com/lowcalspam/status/430883194380881920](https://twitter.com/lowcalspam/status/430883194380881920)

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gopher1
I'm sure we can expect more anti-Russia propaganda during these Olympics.

Not that it's hard to find worthy things to criticize about them, but it's
funny to see what the media focuses on.

~~~
doe88
Exactly, not defending Russia, but in France too there is a dominant negative
biais on how these Olympics are reported in the medias so far.

~~~
BryanB55
Does anyone know why or where the negative bias comes from?

~~~
NathanKP
I'd say it most likely has to do with the history of US and Russia relations
painting perceptions of Russia. But I've definitely noticed a fairly
deliberate effort from some sources to paint the absolute worst picture of
Sochi.

For example there was a popular Reddit thread in which one person was
publicizing lots of pictures of the trashiest, roughest, most under
construction areas of the city. Another Reddit poster claiming to actually
live there followed up with a response full of his own pictures of nice areas
criticizing the OP for cherry picking specific pictures to make Sochi look
bad.

But frankly between the stray dog killings, the seemingly rough state of
hotels as publicized by Olympic journalists, this hacking scare, and Russia's
vehemently anti LGBT policies there is a lot to criticize about Russia and not
as much for the social and news media to praise.

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gregcmartin
this video is full of FUD..

that being said, it is trivial for a nation state to do automatic JS injection
to the DOM using carrier grade MITM packet manipulation on any user-agent or
cookies with en_us locale strings leaving a particular telecom provider. We
now know this is standard practice even by western countries to foreigners.

Standard level of paranoia should apply if your concerned about privacy
regardless if your in Sochi or Starbucks cafe in Cleveland.

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Dirlewanger
Avoiding any televised segment that NBC...hell, any of the 3 major broadcast
networks should be a rule of thumb for anyone. They're always filled with
dumbed-down, sensationalist horseshit riddled with out-of-context soundbytes
and talking heads. Wouldn't be a stretch to call it a variant of modern day
yellow journalism.

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TannerLD
The Loop wrote about this: [http://www.loopinsight.com/2014/02/06/welcome-to-
sochi-bam-y...](http://www.loopinsight.com/2014/02/06/welcome-to-sochi-bam-
youre-hacked-how-real-is-this-scenario/)

Here is a less edited version (via The Loop):
[http://www.nbcnews.com/watch/nbc-news-web-extra/honeypot-
tes...](http://www.nbcnews.com/watch/nbc-news-web-extra/honeypot-tests-
likelihood-of-hackings-in-russia-137595971642)

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sbhere
Thanks, NBC, for not giving me an option to stop from playing the next clip.

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Mc_Big_G
Glad to see this thoroughly debunked

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michaldudek
How ironic.

