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Ask HN: What Happened with the Grugq Article?
I've been researching zero day exploit marketplace for a project and in my research keep finding references to a 'destructive' Andy Greenberg article about The Grugq that 'destroyed' his career and is a privacy lesson. Why? what was so bad about the article, what did Grenberg say? I cannot figure it out.
- anigbrowl 3y agoDid you try...searching for it? https://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2012/03/23/shopping-for-zero-days-an-price-list-for-hackers-secret-software-exploits/?sh=59f79e042660 https://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2012/03/23/shoppi...
- mattisj 3y agoYes I have. I am writing about it for a thesis so I've been looking for as much specificity as I can get regarding it, which is why the things I have seen thus far haven't exactly cut it for me. Yes, I have also seen this post if anyone was about to ask: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20651210 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20651210 Any information regarding the topic is appreciated and needed, thanks!
- anigbrowl 3y agoAsking 'what did Grenberg say' makes it sound like you didn't read the original article. Maybe you should put more effort into formatting your request. There's no way to hit up a HN reader directly, but he's active on Twitter and will usually respond within a few days.
- mattisj 3y agoApologies for it sounding like that, will do. Okay good idea, will do!
- superchroma 3y agogrugq was last active 16 days ago, perhaps you might put the question to him?
- mattisj 3y agoGood idea! How do you ask a question to a specific person, Im new :)
- superchroma 3y agoHe doesn't have contact details, so I would just reply to one of his posts and hope for the best.
- tamimio 3y agoI don’t think there was anything wrong with the article, but maybe the fact it exposed some shady government practices that time, better cut the loose end and/or recycle it.
- mattisj 3y agoI was thinking that might be it, especially since he kind of trashed Chinese and Russian marketplaces.
- tamimio 3y agoAnd that happened before snowden leaks, so anything that might “shake the trust” in the government or makes people question why the government is buying these zero days exploits in the first place, needs to be buried away from media spotlight.
- mattisj 3y agoWould the snowden leaks be useful to discuss in a thesis about zero-day exploits, and if so how would it be relevant?
- tamimio 3y agoIt might be, as before the leaks a lot of people had big trust in government and big tech in general, leaks showed otherwise, and how the government is willing and actively putting all efforts to spy and violate people’s privacy, either zero day exploits, pre-planted backdoors, laws and acts are shaped to serve that purpose like gag orders, patriot acts, etc., but eventually it depends on what conclusion you are trying to make anyway.
- mattisj 3y agoyeah okay, I might not mainly just because i'm trying to write an overview on the zero-day marketplace, with case studies and getting as niche on specific things as possible. Talking of that, you seem like an expert, is there any super interesting things regarding the zero day marketplace I can research and write about? (in buying, selling, brokerage or anything really)