Government

Feds Now Want to Spy by Hacking Foreign Gaming Consoles

Department of Homeland Security Awards Contract for Researchers to Hack Gaming Consoles for Information

Feds award contract for researchers to see if they can develop a reliable method to hack into gaming consoles. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Cellphone data tracking and online activity monitoring may be the “mainstream” ways the feds are tracking potential terrorist activities, but there is another more unassuming device that is capable of online hookup and has the government interested in the secrets it may hold. It is none other than your video game console.

The gaming system that gives you hours of Mario Kart, Rock Band or Madden NFL fun is also being looked at by the Department of Homeland Security, which wants to see if it can pick passwords, credit card numbers, and other communications from the consoles. Wired reports DHS awarded a more than $177,000 contract to Obscure Technologies last week to develop a method to make gleaning this information from the systems possible — but only if they come from foreign sources:

The government says it plans to use the forensic tool only on systems owned by foreigners outside the U.S. and that the research is aimed at investigations of pedophiles who target victims through gaming systems, and terrorists, who DHS says may be using gaming consoles to communicate and plan their activities.

Department of Homeland Security Awards Contract for Researchers to Hack Gaming Consoles for Information

XBox 360

Given privacy issues of collecting information from devices gotten on U.S. soil, Simson Garfinkel, a computer science professor and expert at the Naval Postgraduate School, said that’s why the research will target systems purchased outside of the United States.

Foreign Policy magazine has more on the research:

The ultimate goal is to “improve the current state-of-the-art of computer forensics by developing new tools for extracting information from popular game systems, and by building a corpus of data from second-hand game system that can be used to further the development of computer forensic tools,” Garfinkel said in an email to Foreign Policy. Though the research is being overseen by NPS, the contract award states that the tools developed by Obscure will be delivered to DHS.

The Gaming Systems Monitoring and Analysis Project was first introduced in 2008. Foreign Policy described the development of techniques to hack into gaming consoles as relatively new ground as the devices are well-encrypted to prevent piracy. Obscure Technologies President Greg May is reported as saying even they’re not sure how complicated the process will be.

ZDNet has more on some of the tasks Obscure Technologies will need to complete:

  • Provide monitoring for 6 new video game systems, a maximum of 2 of any type from any given vendor.
  • Generate clean data (data that does not contain any identifiable information from real people) from new video game systems.
  • Design a prototype rig for capturing data from new video game systems.
  • Implement the prototype rig on the new video game systems.
  • Provide data captured by the prototype rig in the following formats: Packets shall be delivered in PCAP format, Disk images shall be delivered in E01/EWF format.
  • Write a final report, between 10 and 20 pages, to include details of work performed, the engineering approach used and the reason why, any engineering decisions that were made and why, what work remains to be done, and any failings of the approaches followed.

Privacy expert Parker Higgins from the Electronic Freedom Foundation told Foreign Policy that he doesn’t think the government would be interested in the consoles for intentionally stored sensitive information but for conversations that may be logged while using the platform to message other users. He said that “it’s even more alarming because users might not know that the data is created.” Here’s the type of info Higgins thinks the government is seeking:

Thing about it: Your Nintendo Wii might tell government investigators when you were connected to the Internet, who you were talking to, what you were saying, and what you were playing. “Taken in context, it could end up revealing more than you expect,” Higgins warns. There have already been hacks that could allow for spying on users of the Xbox Kinect, a video-enabled add-on that reads body movement for interactive gaming.

Until this research is complete and a way for authorities to access data from gaming consoles is identified, Wired reports law enforcement can still subpoena the company running the service for information it has collected.

Comments (18)

  • TeslanEdison
    Posted on April 14, 2012 at 8:54pm

    I didn’t know that there were such a large number of pedophiles that they had become a security risk next to the terror- ahem islamic gihadists, communists, and anarchists. So what happens when one of the radicals come through you console to ask you kids if you own a gun, if so what type, what happens when that is a US government agent compiling information on an urban area prior to marshal law.

    Report Post »  
  • WakingSheep
    Posted on April 11, 2012 at 10:35am

    And which inevitable candidate said he would have signed NDAA?
    I’m just so scared of the Constitutional foreign policy though!…….

    BAAAAAAAAAAAA………

    Report Post »  
  • babylonvi
    Posted on April 10, 2012 at 8:55pm

    I thought all this illegal invasion of our 4th amendment rights was only for terrorism(and don’t kid yourself, if they can snatch you off the street, put you away or even kill you without a charge or trial, this WILL be used on U.S. citizens in the future? By 2014, we will be clamped down like in ‘1984’, only if took 30 extra years. Does ANY citizen feel safer because of Homeland Security and the destruction of the republic and the constitution.

    Report Post » babylonvi  
  • SadButTrue
    Posted on April 10, 2012 at 6:04pm

    I‘m tellin’ ya, that EMP isn’t happening soon enough!

    Report Post »  
    • Whirling Dervish
      Posted on April 10, 2012 at 7:26pm

      Sure it is for them nasty foreigners, just like the ‘patriot’ act and the NSA phone tapping foreigners only (for now).

      mu-ah ha ha ha (Dr. Evil style)

      Report Post » Whirling Dervish  
  • Mr. Oshawott
    Posted on April 10, 2012 at 1:23pm

    Well, isn’t this amazing? Our government has already exercised a massive invasion on our privacy by posting video cameras on our street corners and spying on the Internet. Now they want to invade our gaming consoles. This is ludicrous. Where in the Constitution does it say that the government has authorization to hack into a person’s gaming console? Last time I’ve read the Fourth Amendment, it stated this:

    “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

    Sure, the Fourth Amendment didn’t mention anything about high-tech items being prohibited from unwarranted searches. However, it DID mention that the people have the right to have their EFFECTS secure from them, in which I have no doubt that would mean that the people have the right to have ALL of their private property of ANY sort secure from warrantless searches, INCLUDING VIDEO GAME CONSOLES.

    Report Post » Mr. Oshawott  
    • FreedomsFury
      Posted on April 10, 2012 at 2:33pm

      Not only cameras there but there are cameras in all of your smart devises and they are watching, go and watch Gen. Petreus CIA director giving a speech where he is making a joke about how much money they are gonna be able to save with the American people giving them full access to their homes through smart devises(dishwashers, cable boxes take your pick they are all over). I know thats hard to believe but you can watch him speak about it. I go on YouTube all the time from my PS3 and Xbox thats pretty much the only thing I use them for , they are trying to develope a complete control over every life in this Nation.

      Report Post »  
  • tomloy
    Posted on April 10, 2012 at 12:49pm

    I don’t use gaming consoles so good luck to the feds trying to hack them. Plus I don’t trust the feds not to hack US Citizens gaming consoles either.

    Report Post »  
  • Stoic one
    Posted on April 10, 2012 at 12:24pm

    If you want tot hide things; just stay ahead of them(gov’t & hackers)

    Report Post » Stoic one  
  • Its Gonna Getcha
    Posted on April 10, 2012 at 12:00pm

    It sounds crazy, but this doesn’t bother me anymore. If anyone thinks their privacy is guaranteed by now, you’re in for a lot of frustration. There’s no where to hide, and guess what, in God‘s eyes there’s no where to hide either. Living a wholesome lifestyle eliminates a lot of the paranoia.

    I‘m going to be more concerned about this administration’s obsession with using spying techniques to keep us in our place, and I don‘t think it’s going to happen thru Mario. Although, if Mario is offered unconditional citizenship and bypasses the laws….. Hmmmm…… Yeah, keep an eye on Mario.

    Report Post » Its Gonna Getcha  
    • guido.cavalcanti
      Posted on April 10, 2012 at 2:07pm

      @Gonnagetcha “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” I like to think I live in a pretty wholesome way and I still don’t want the govt infringing upon my privacy. Should I give up my right to privacy, which was endowed to me by God, just because you think if you live in a “wholesome” I should have nothing to worry about? Yeah, I think I’m going to side with Benjamin Franklin on this one.

      Report Post » guido.cavalcanti  
    • Kerstile
      Posted on April 10, 2012 at 4:28pm

      @getcha, what happens when those spying do not think your “wholesomeness” is acceptable? Don’t forget that traditional American “wholesomeness” is totally unacceptable and considered an enemy of the state by countries like, oh, well, Communist China, the now defunct USSR, Cuba, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Saudi Arabia, Iran……… and many, many more. Think it can’t happen here, huh? You invite it to happen by thinking as you do.

      Report Post » Kerstile  
  • HorseCrazy
    Posted on April 10, 2012 at 11:53am

    hey parents don’t let your kids play “live” on their xbox or whatever and then we don’t have to worry about pedophiles coming quite litterally into your home and after your kids. same goes with the computer, put it in the kitchen family room or whatever and by them regular flip phones with no internet. we don’t need another government program “to keep us safe”

    Report Post »  
  • SquidVetOhio
    Posted on April 10, 2012 at 11:46am

    This has gone too far! Yea, “only from overseas sources”. This coming from the same adiminstration that doesn’t believe the SCOTUS should be overturning any laws they pass, no matter what. Does this scare the crap out of anyone else. I use the work in the intel world and there are alot of patriotic people in there but, there is a “need to know” basis on programs. The right hand may not know what the left hand is doing. The people developing the technology probably believe they are helping to stop terrorism. The people USING the technology….. Well, who knows……

    Report Post » SquidVetOhio  
  • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
    Posted on April 10, 2012 at 11:43am

    “Given privacy issues of collecting information from devices gotten on U.S. soil, Simson Garfinkel, a computer science professor and expert at the Naval Postgraduate School, said that’s why the research will target systems purchased outside of the United States.”
    ———————————————————————————-
    I don’t believe that for a second. Just one more way for this administation to collect information and keep tabs on people.

    Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
    • CatB
      Posted on April 10, 2012 at 12:13pm

      Exactly … soon we will have to unplug to be free .. and then we lose most of our communication and we are not free either. D*mned either way.

      Report Post »  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on April 10, 2012 at 12:46pm

      One more chain being forged for the people of America; one more step closer to ultimate tyranny and the loss of all freedoms. The pot heats up one portion at a time and most people are blissfully unaware of their enslavement until far too late.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Captain Crunch
      Posted on April 10, 2012 at 7:59pm

      If I had a propensity to play a particular type of video game, monitoring my on-line gaming activity gives clues as to my personality and thought processes. It’s a tool for the thought police to apprehend “criminals” before they commit the crime. Scary stuff.

      Report Post »  

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