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> By deleting the web shells, FBI personnel will prevent malicious cyber actors from using the web shells to access the servers and install additional malware o

> By deleting the web shells, FBI personnel will prevent malicious cyber actors from using the web shells to access the servers and install additional malware on them If the FBi is in your computer you have already lost. Your box is as good as dead and you might aswell do a full factory reset or it that's too bothersome, buy a new box. Sometimes buying a whole new box is cheaper than cleaning up malware using specialist tools.

imwillofficial 5y ago
This is very poor advice. “If the FBI is in your box you’re already dead.” No, in this case, they are fixing a hack. I don’t want them touching my stuff, but that’s hardly “dead”. “Cheaper to buy a new box” Reinstalling and reconfiguring is always cheaper than buying new and reconfiguring. This reasoning is very poor, why did you feel the need to make this comment?
- high_byte 5y ago
  lol "rm shell.js or if that's too bothersome buy a new machine"
- bena 5y ago
  I don't think he means that because it's the FBI. I think he means that since the FBI is using the vulnerability itself to patch affected systems that you've already been compromised if the FBI is able to do this to your system.
  - imwillofficial 5y ago
    But buy a new machine?
    - bena 5y ago
      It's a sticky wicket. A compromised machine is just that, compromised. Someone recently posted a story about an exploit wherein the compiler itself was compromised to compromise a particular set of programs when compiling those programs. Including the compiler itself. So closing this particular door does not mean that they didn't use their access to establish other doors. Or self-opening doors. Or any number of things. And you have no clue as to how far down it goes. This exploit could have compromised the boot loader or something. The only way to be completely sure is to essentially strip the machine to bare metal and audit every piece of software on it. The safest thing to do, if you want to be completely sure, is to buy a new machine. And even then, you're trusting that the machine you bought hasn't been compromised by the manufacturer or something like that. But it's a known-ish quantity. But that's a "nuke it from orbit" kind of option. Often, being completely sure isn't necessary. We can live with reasonably sure.
slowhand09 5y ago
...setting up YC company to purchase FBI-"tuned" computers for cheap.
daniel-cussen 5y ago
They're using the vulnerability in question to go in and eliminate that vulnerability, locking themselves out. It's like a cop seeing a wide open front door, and going into the threshold in order to reach the door handle so he can pull it closed. Did he go into the house? Yes. Because it was open, and only in order to close it.
- CountDrewku 5y ago
  Except you have no idea what else they're doing in there before they so nicely "close the door". Besides, your metaphor doesn't work since cops aren't allowed to just enter a premise due to it being unlocked or open. That doesn't fall under any of the reasons to enter a premise without warrant. Leaving a door unlocked or open is not a crime that gives them free pass. I really have a hard time understanding people's logic on here sometimes. Apparently the entire US government is systemically racist and evil but these same people want to give more power to this government? Which is it?
  - daniel-cussen 5y ago
    Really? They can't set one foot inside in order to reach the doorhandle if the door is 90 degrees open? And what America are we talking about, "your rights according to the ACLU" America, media portrayals of America, or in-real-life common sense America where you can have a ten minute conversation with a policeman about everyday things with no worries because it's actually no big deal?
    - CountDrewku 5y ago
      Yes really and this isn't just simply "door closing". https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/fourth_amendment https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/fourth_amendment
      - daniel-cussen 5y ago
        I guess. Reminds me of the time in Santiago de Chile we were fixing up a place and the door was ajar. A group of Jehova's Witnesses came in without knocking, holding their pamphlet in front of them in a noticeably odd way, in case they found anybody inside they'd be all about the pamphlet. I guess they thought it was their warrant.

imwillofficial 5y ago

This is very poor advice. “If the FBI is in your box you’re already dead.” No, in this case, they are fixing a hack. I don’t want them touching my stuff, but that’s hardly “dead”. “Cheaper to buy a new box” Reinstalling and reconfiguring is always cheaper than buying new and reconfiguring. This reasoning is very poor, why did you feel the need to make this comment?

high_byte 5y ago
lol "rm shell.js or if that's too bothersome buy a new machine"
bena 5y ago
I don't think he means that because it's the FBI. I think he means that since the FBI is using the vulnerability itself to patch affected systems that you've already been compromised if the FBI is able to do this to your system.
- imwillofficial 5y ago
  But buy a new machine?
  - bena 5y ago
    It's a sticky wicket. A compromised machine is just that, compromised. Someone recently posted a story about an exploit wherein the compiler itself was compromised to compromise a particular set of programs when compiling those programs. Including the compiler itself. So closing this particular door does not mean that they didn't use their access to establish other doors. Or self-opening doors. Or any number of things. And you have no clue as to how far down it goes. This exploit could have compromised the boot loader or something. The only way to be completely sure is to essentially strip the machine to bare metal and audit every piece of software on it. The safest thing to do, if you want to be completely sure, is to buy a new machine. And even then, you're trusting that the machine you bought hasn't been compromised by the manufacturer or something like that. But it's a known-ish quantity. But that's a "nuke it from orbit" kind of option. Often, being completely sure isn't necessary. We can live with reasonably sure.

slowhand09 5y ago

...setting up YC company to purchase FBI-"tuned" computers for cheap.

daniel-cussen 5y ago

They're using the vulnerability in question to go in and eliminate that vulnerability, locking themselves out. It's like a cop seeing a wide open front door, and going into the threshold in order to reach the door handle so he can pull it closed. Did he go into the house? Yes. Because it was open, and only in order to close it.

CountDrewku 5y ago
Except you have no idea what else they're doing in there before they so nicely "close the door". Besides, your metaphor doesn't work since cops aren't allowed to just enter a premise due to it being unlocked or open. That doesn't fall under any of the reasons to enter a premise without warrant. Leaving a door unlocked or open is not a crime that gives them free pass. I really have a hard time understanding people's logic on here sometimes. Apparently the entire US government is systemically racist and evil but these same people want to give more power to this government? Which is it?
- daniel-cussen 5y ago
  Really? They can't set one foot inside in order to reach the doorhandle if the door is 90 degrees open? And what America are we talking about, "your rights according to the ACLU" America, media portrayals of America, or in-real-life common sense America where you can have a ten minute conversation with a policeman about everyday things with no worries because it's actually no big deal?
  - CountDrewku 5y ago
    Yes really and this isn't just simply "door closing". https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/fourth_amendment https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/fourth_amendment
    - daniel-cussen 5y ago
      I guess. Reminds me of the time in Santiago de Chile we were fixing up a place and the door was ajar. A group of Jehova's Witnesses came in without knocking, holding their pamphlet in front of them in a noticeably odd way, in case they found anybody inside they'd be all about the pamphlet. I guess they thought it was their warrant.