ObamaCare website hacked

[RecycleMichael]

http://outfoxednews.blogspot.com/2013/11/denial-of-service-tool-targeting.html?spref=tw&m=1

Denial-of-service tool targeting Healthcare.gov site discovered

Hacktivist software designed to put a strain on struggling Obamacare website.

by Dan Goodin - Nov 7 2013, 8:54am USMST


Arbor Networks
Researchers have uncovered software available on the Internet designed to overload the struggling Healthcare.gov website with more traffic than it can handle.
"ObamaCare is an affront to the Constitutional rights of the people," a screenshot from the tool, which was acquired by researchers at Arbor Networks, declares. "We HAVE the right to CIVIL disobedience!"
In a blog post published Thursday, Arbor researcher Marc Eisenbarth said there's no evidence Healthcare.gov has withstood any significant denial-of-service attacks since going live last month. He also said the limited request rate, the lack of significant distribution, and other features of the tool's underlying code made it unlikely that it could play a significant role in taking down the site. The tool is designed to put a strain on the site by repeatedly alternating requests to the https://www.healthcare.gov and https:www.healthcare.gov/contact-us addresses. If enough requests are made over a short period of time, it can overload some of the "layer 7" applications that the site relies on to make timely responses.
The screenshot below shows some of the inner workings of the unnamed tool.
The tool fits a pattern seen in the previous years of hacktivist software available for download that's customized to take on a specific cause or support a particular ideology.
"ASERT has seen site specific denial of service tools in the past related to topics of social or political interest," Eisenbarth wrote, referring to the Arbor Security Engineering and Response Team. "This application continues a trend ASERT is seeing with denial of service attacks being used as a means of retaliation against a policy, legal rulings or government actions."
The full text of the screenshot reads:

Destroy Obama Care.
This program continually displays alternate page of the ObamaCare website. It has no virus, trojans, worms, or cookies.
The purpose is to overload the ObamaCare website, to deny service to users and perhaps overload and crash the system.
You can open as many copies of the program as you want. Each copy opens multiple links to the site.
ObamaCare is an affront to the Constitutional rights of the people. We HAVE the right to CIVIL disobedience!
Of course, there's no way of knowing who wrote and posted the tool, which has been mentioned on social media sites. It's certainly possible that it's the work of critics of President Obama's healthcare legislation. But until we learn more, there's no way to rule out the possibility that it was developed by an Obamacare supporter with the hope of discrediting critics.

[Gaspar]

http://outfoxednews.blogspot.com/2013/11/denial-of-service-tool-targeting.html?spref=tw&m=1

Denial-of-service tool targeting Healthcare.gov site discovered

Hacktivist software designed to put a strain on struggling Obamacare website.

by Dan Goodin - Nov 7 2013, 8:54am USMST


Arbor Networks
Researchers have uncovered software available on the Internet designed to overload the struggling Healthcare.gov website with more traffic than it can handle.
"ObamaCare is an affront to the Constitutional rights of the people," a screenshot from the tool, which was acquired by researchers at Arbor Networks, declares. "We HAVE the right to CIVIL disobedience!"
In a blog post published Thursday, Arbor researcher Marc Eisenbarth said there's no evidence Healthcare.gov has withstood any significant denial-of-service attacks since going live last month. He also said the limited request rate, the lack of significant distribution, and other features of the tool's underlying code made it unlikely that it could play a significant role in taking down the site. The tool is designed to put a strain on the site by repeatedly alternating requests to the https://www.healthcare.gov and https:www.healthcare.gov/contact-us addresses. If enough requests are made over a short period of time, it can overload some of the "layer 7" applications that the site relies on to make timely responses.
The screenshot below shows some of the inner workings of the unnamed tool.
The tool fits a pattern seen in the previous years of hacktivist software available for download that's customized to take on a specific cause or support a particular ideology.
"ASERT has seen site specific denial of service tools in the past related to topics of social or political interest," Eisenbarth wrote, referring to the Arbor Security Engineering and Response Team. "This application continues a trend ASERT is seeing with denial of service attacks being used as a means of retaliation against a policy, legal rulings or government actions."
The full text of the screenshot reads:

Destroy Obama Care.
This program continually displays alternate page of the ObamaCare website. It has no virus, trojans, worms, or cookies.
The purpose is to overload the ObamaCare website, to deny service to users and perhaps overload and crash the system.
You can open as many copies of the program as you want. Each copy opens multiple links to the site.
ObamaCare is an affront to the Constitutional rights of the people. We HAVE the right to CIVIL disobedience!
Of course, there's no way of knowing who wrote and posted the tool, which has been mentioned on social media sites. It's certainly possible that it's the work of critics of President Obama's healthcare legislation. But until we learn more, there's no way to rule out the possibility that it was developed by an Obamacare supporter with the hope of discrediting critics.

Anyone who would use such a tool would be an idiot because the calls all come from their local IP address, unless they bounce off of a series of proxy servers and the snippets of code they provide doesn't show that.  I would have to call Bull$hit that this is actually a real thing, because based on what is shown here, this is an easily defendable piece of kludge, most likely created to confuse the lay person into thinking there is some complex hacking going on.  If they could show the "inner workings of the tool" why not show something a bit more intelligent?

Attempting a DOS on the federal government is a very very bad idea, likely to result in rather immediate response, and with this administration that may include a buzzing sound overhead that culminates in sudden darkness.

Where do you find these sites RM?

[patric]

Wow what a total surprise.... http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/index.php?topic=15228.msg274236#msg274236

...but a DDoS attack is an obstruction, not a hack.

[Hoss]

Anyone who would use such a tool would be an idiot because the calls all come from their local IP address, unless they bounce off of a series of proxy servers and the snippets of code they provide doesn't show that.  I would have to call Bull$hit that this is actually a real thing, because based on what is shown here, this is an easily defendable piece of kludge, most likely created to confuse the lay person into thinking there is some complex hacking going on.  If they could show the "inner workings of the tool" why not show something a bit more intelligent?

Attempting a DOS on the federal government is a very very bad idea, likely to result in rather immediate response, and with this administration that may include a buzzing sound overhead that culminates in sudden darkness.

Where do you find these sites RM?

You of all people are asking that, considering some of your 'sourcing'?

Thanks for the laugh of the day!

[Gaspar]

You of all people are asking that, considering some of your 'sourcing'?

Thanks for the laugh of the day!

I always try to provide a variety of sources, but I assume your response was just the typical buzz that you and Towney produce.
It would be nice if at some point you had something to add to the conversations besides snipe, because we do not have the luxury of an ignore button on SMF.

[Hoss]

I always try to provide a variety of sources, but I assume your response was just the typical buzz that you and Towney produce.
It would be nice if at some point you had something to add to the conversations besides snipe, because we do not have the luxury of an ignore button on SMF.

I actually work during my day, Gas.  If I felt I could get away from that work I would provide more input than I do.  However, responding to your posts is a little like talking to a cardboard box.  You're not the only one I feel like in that regard.

Many on here understand that.

And how, o how, I'd love to have an 'ignore' button on this forum.  I know of two posters who go right to the top of the list.

Matthew Prior once said "They talk most who have the least to say".

And looky...I didn't even have to change font color for that.   

[Gaspar]

I actually work during my day, Gas.  If I felt I could get away from that work I would provide more input than I do.  However, responding to your posts is a little like talking to a cardboard box.  You're not the only one I feel like in that regard.

Many on here understand that.

Can't imagine what that would look like.  But by all means, if you have a reasonable opinion or insight on a subject it is welcome.  I like to learn from those I disagree with.  That is how we find common ground (or at least understand each's reasoning) and at times we arrive at the same conclusion from differing directions.  That is what I enjoy.  We can have differences in opinion and still be mature enough to be friendly.

Carry on.

[sgrizzle]

Not hacked.

Someone wrote a tool, that doesn't hack the site, and no-one used it.

Move along. Nothing to see here.