How To Steal An Election - Riggable Machines
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/41675
23 COMMENTS"In a paper posted on the university's Web site, Edward Felten and two graduate students described how they had tested a Diebold AccuVote-TS machine they obtained, found ways to quickly upload malicious programs and even developed a computer virus able to spread such programs between machines," writes Chris Newmarker for AP.
In the video (right), the professor and his graduate students demonstrate their ability to hack the machine and fix an election.
Some of their findings are that:
- Malicious software running on a single voting machine can steal votes with little if any risk of detection. The malicious software can modify all of the records, audit logs, and counters kept by the voting machine, so that even careful forensic examination of these records will find nothing amiss. We have constructed demonstration software that carries out this vote-stealing attack.
- Anyone who has physical access to a voting machine, or to a memory card that will later be inserted into a machine, can install said malicious software using a simple method that takes as little as one minute. In practice, poll workers and others often have unsupervised access to the machines.
- AccuVote-TS machines are susceptible to voting-machine viruses-computer viruses that can spread malicious software automatically and invisibly from machine to machine during normal pre- and postelection activity. We have constructed a demonstration virus that spreads in this way, installing our demonstration vote-stealing program on every machine it infects.
- While some of these problems can be eliminated by improving Diebold's software, others cannot be remedied without replacing the machines' hardware. Changes to election procedures would also be required to ensure security.
Evan Derkacz is a New York-based writer and contributor to AlterNet.
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COMMENTS:
Labels: steal an election
posted by Anonymous @ 1/11/2008 11:47:00 AM
Now look here, Worried, you've really got me worried! I'm starting work on a giant rocket right now. I'm clearing out, heading for the stars, leaving this stuffed-up, corrupt, divided world behind.
I might have room for a few people. Anyone like to come?
Friday, January 11, 2008 7:13:00 PM
Will you accept a few old worn out great grandmas? Considering how dissident we have been, we're prime candidates for the thought police. I have always wanted to see what's out there, a la Star Trek.
Be sure to take along some young, healthy breeding pairs. The human race must go on. Hopefully without the baggage of hatred, violence and greed. A new garden of eden - without a Cain?
Friday, January 11, 2008 9:24:00 P M
Goddleamighty, Old Woman, your last 3 posts has scared the living crap out of me. You said it was coming for the past several years but somehow I hoped it wouldn't,
Daniel, do you have a seat for me? Puhleeeez? Stop this freaking world and let me off!!
Friday, January 11, 2008 9:33:00 PM
'The human race must go on.' Worried, can you give me one good reason?
I've struck a problem. The police have been out to see me. They think I'm building a missile to land on the White House! I've even put up a sign: I AM A PACIFIST but it's made no difference. Several helicopters have already flown overhead and one made a pass at me!
The breeding couples bit gives me concern. Can't have mischievous, groaning couples floating all around the cabin. And the Garden of Eden without a Cain. By the time we get there we'll all need a Cain. A white one!
Cheers.
Friday, January 11, 2008 11:25:00 PM
Sigh! It was a thought, Daniel. Mankind does have a few good qualities which may be able to nurture and evolve further. Maybe.
"...floating around the cabin"? Surely there will be bunks of a sort, even if sleepers have to rotate turns? Set a schedule for groans? :-)
Helicopters? Oh My! Were they BLACK? You know in modern folklore the black ones are the worst!! Tell the police you wouldn't waste your time and resources on the white house - you have a more important agenda: Getting the hell out of Dodge! Cheers!
Saturday, January 12, 2008 1:15:00 AM
It is so tiring to hear this. Tiring because the majority of the people in the country just happily go along and don't bother to look to deep into this. However, that said, it is good to keep blogging about it as that probably is the only medium where these discussions take place for real. Sigh..
well, keep commenting W. Whether I am 'tired' of it or not.. 'we' gotta do our part!!
hugs
Ingrid
Saturday, January 12, 2008 5:41:00 PM