7 ms·

Does someone know if I can « unlock » my modem speed with this exploit?

by debian3 7y ago

leetbulb 7y ago
Even if you could, it's super illegal to do so.
- tyingq 7y ago
  Most US cable providers let you use your own DOCSIS modem. I doubt there are any legal consequences for changing config on your own modem. Channel bonding has to be configured on both sides though.
  - lawnchair_larry 7y ago
    You’d be wrong. People have been raided and charged for that in the US.
    - vlan0 7y ago
      Eh, people have been raided and charged for the distribution modems and running websites. But cases of theft of service for running a hacked modem are nearly non-existent.
- debian3 7y ago
  I guess we don’t have the same definition of « super illegal ».
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
lima 7y ago
Super illegal, AND all ISPs have bandwidth accounting that will quickly spot the manipulation.
- throwaway2048 7y ago
  Yeah who would want to do such a thing on Hacker News
- driverdan 7y ago
  > Super illegal [citation needed] Also, what makes it super? And how does that compare to normal illegal?
  - lima 7y ago
    Heh - sorry for the hyberbole. At least in my country, Germany, fraudulent use of telecommunications services, public transport or paid events/facilities ("Erschleichen von Leistungen", § 265a StGB) is not just a civil matter, but also a criminal offence. If you got caught manipulating your modem to avoid paying for faster broadband, you would likely to get into trouble.
- hanniabu 7y ago
  What if you used the exploit to change someone else's modem speed? If you are the who's modem was modified, how could you prove this in court? It sounds like it'd be very difficult. However, if you can somehow prove this, then you can just alter your own and claim someone else did it externally and claim it's their own fault because they provided a device that was exploitable. Note, the premise of this comment is based off another commenter's claim that you can pull this off remotely and don't actually need to be on the local network.
vlan0 7y ago
Negative. Unless your ISP is operating in the stone ages, it will be quite a feat to run a cloned modem on your network. Source: Back in the TCNISO days, I ran cloned modems on Charter's network. Their network security was atrocious.
msla 7y ago
Uncapping a modem to get more speed used to be possible but I can't imagine how it could be useful: It takes two to tango, so to actually go faster you'd need to get the other party to go faster as well. The other party being the ISP you're attempting to cheat, which has every incentive to monitor such things and act on those monitors. Morality aside, I just don't see how it could ever end well for the uncapper.

Does someone know if I can « unlock » my modem speed with this exploit?

leetbulb 7y ago

Even if you could, it's super illegal to do so.

tyingq 7y ago
Most US cable providers let you use your own DOCSIS modem. I doubt there are any legal consequences for changing config on your own modem. Channel bonding has to be configured on both sides though.
- lawnchair_larry 7y ago
  You’d be wrong. People have been raided and charged for that in the US.
  - vlan0 7y ago
    Eh, people have been raided and charged for the distribution modems and running websites. But cases of theft of service for running a hacked modem are nearly non-existent.
debian3 7y ago
I guess we don’t have the same definition of « super illegal ».

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

lima 7y ago

Super illegal, AND all ISPs have bandwidth accounting that will quickly spot the manipulation.

throwaway2048 7y ago
Yeah who would want to do such a thing on Hacker News
driverdan 7y ago
> Super illegal [citation needed] Also, what makes it super? And how does that compare to normal illegal?
- lima 7y ago
  Heh - sorry for the hyberbole. At least in my country, Germany, fraudulent use of telecommunications services, public transport or paid events/facilities ("Erschleichen von Leistungen", § 265a StGB) is not just a civil matter, but also a criminal offence. If you got caught manipulating your modem to avoid paying for faster broadband, you would likely to get into trouble.
hanniabu 7y ago
What if you used the exploit to change someone else's modem speed? If you are the who's modem was modified, how could you prove this in court? It sounds like it'd be very difficult. However, if you can somehow prove this, then you can just alter your own and claim someone else did it externally and claim it's their own fault because they provided a device that was exploitable. Note, the premise of this comment is based off another commenter's claim that you can pull this off remotely and don't actually need to be on the local network.

vlan0 7y ago

Negative. Unless your ISP is operating in the stone ages, it will be quite a feat to run a cloned modem on your network. Source: Back in the TCNISO days, I ran cloned modems on Charter's network. Their network security was atrocious.

msla 7y ago

Uncapping a modem to get more speed used to be possible but I can't imagine how it could be useful: It takes two to tango, so to actually go faster you'd need to get the other party to go faster as well. The other party being the ISP you're attempting to cheat, which has every incentive to monitor such things and act on those monitors. Morality aside, I just don't see how it could ever end well for the uncapper.