While yes this is technically illegal, honest question does the letter of the law stand in a situation where those "wronged" by the infraction are themselves in

While yes this is technically illegal, honest question does the letter of the law stand in a situation where those "wronged" by the infraction are themselves in the wrong? From a legal standpoint, charges would have to be brought against you by someone, and I doubt that anyone who sustained damage from this situation (the bot network's owner) would have the ability to demonstrate such a thing without substantially incriminating themselves. From a purely philosophical standpoint, you could take a utilitarian approach ala J.S. Mill and say that it would do the greatest quality of good to the greatest number of people to take such action. Granted at the point we're discussing philosophy, we're outside the judicial process which is all that's up for debate here.