Security company hacks into an investigative journalist

Security ISSX was involved in a weiter on investigative journalist Brenno de Winter. The owner of the company says to have this done because his company because of a campaign of The Winter against vulnerabilities.

Computerworld, one of the publications to which investigative journalist Brenno de Winter is connected, writes that ISSX was involved in the hack, which was broken in a webmail client on a privéserver of The Winter. Owner Ronald Kingma of the security company confirms that the company was involved in the hack. “But Computerworld blows it up,” says Kingma.

Computerworld writes that the hackers might e-mail messages have sunk in, but according to Kingma, that is not true. “We were unable to do, but that we have deliberately not done. Then do not exceed your limits,” said the security guard. Kingma says that he, along with two others, a vulnerability in the Twig-web mail client has a configuration file could obtain the root password of the MySQL database. It would go to a yet undiscovered leak. With that password could be logged on a phpMyAdmin installation that is externally accessible. A remarkable detail is that the used web mail client is already 6.5 years is no longer being developed.

Kingma would not say who the other hackers were, or which of the three hackers the ultimate hack has performed, only that this is not from the office of ISSX has taken place. “But, in theory, had that too from my home address can happen,” says Kingma.

According to the security guard is the hack carried out from annoyance to Lektober, a campaign against vulnerabilities that The Winter and Webwereld together. “It runs the scuppers. We now have customers that increased activity of hackaanvallen. Lektober is a kind of license to hack,” complains Kingma. On the question of how pure his own actions, acknowledge Kingma that the hacking of an investigative journalist a ‘grey area’.

Initially reported to Computerworld that The Telegraph behind the hack was, but that was not true. Worked with the hackers along with the newspaper. “Brenno was Sunday night called, so he would have time for the leak to be sealed. It would then be up the next morning in the newspaper,” says Kingma. The problem was, however, already discovered and had Computerworld there is already published.

“I’m a bit surprised that they are this way. This is called vigilantism,” says Winter. “I’m not in favor of it.” About the fact that the webmailsoftware 6.5 years no patch more has had, claims to be The Winter: “That does not say much. There are systems from the seventies that still run well, but it would have been more convenient not to have, that’s right.” The investigative journalist says probably not press charges against ISSX. “I don’t see them as much salvation in, unless there are other things come to light,” says Winter. The journalist says there is to doubt whether or not the hackers, however, you have to understand.


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