Technology

Scary? Hacker Reveals How To Access Voicemails Like a Pro

News of the World – a publication known for exposing scandals and made even more famous for being exposed itself for hacking into people’s voicemails — may have known a thing or two that we didn’t about cellphone hacking. That is until now, thanks to the video below.

Watch Kevin Mitnick — a computer hacker who is famous in his own right for criminal hacking activities — show you just how it’s done. Seems so simple and no password is required. Reuters (via Gizmodo) captured this how-to video:

Mitnick shows Reuters reporter Anthony De Rosa how he uses software to bypass the need for a password to enter a cellphone’s voicemail box. Mitnick spent about five years in federal prison for criminal computer hacking activities that took place over a two-and-a-half year period. At the time of his arrest in 1995 he was considered the most wanted computer hacker in the United States.

But if you’re feeling a little exposed right now, Mitnick does say cellphone users can protect themselves from voicemail thievery  by selecting the voicemail option that will always require a password — always.

News of the World said publication July 10, 2011, as it came under investigation for phone hacking to get information. It is now being investigation for 3,700 potential cases. The Blaze reported the scandal as prompting the arrest and/or resignation of some staff members involved.

[H/T Gizmodo]

Comments (47)

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  • Pat_in_NC
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 9:14pm

    But this isn’t illegal right?
    It‘s not nice but it’s not illegal.
    That’s what has me confused about the British hysteria.
    I don’t think voice-mail hacking is a crime in England.

    Report Post »  
    • tower7femacamp
      Posted on August 30, 2011 at 9:27pm

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-GNemQ0JTc

      Report Post » tower7femacamp  
    • Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
      Posted on August 31, 2011 at 2:12am

      It’s computer trespass. Accessing a computer system to which you have no rights or authorization.

      Read my analogy below. If I took the key you hid on top of your front door frame, unlocked your door, went inside your home and… I dunno. Did something completely innocuous like… washed my hands in your kitchen sink and left, locking back up and putting the key back where I got it.

      Now, arguably, I didn’t to anything heinous or atrocious, but that is still a crime. Breaking and entering (even if nothing was actually “broken”), theft of service (your water), even burglary (I used some of your soap while trespassing).

      Report Post » Lesbian Packing Hollow Points  
    • Silent_Majority
      Posted on August 31, 2011 at 8:22am

      First of all – If you have security set up on your voice mail this should not be a issue. Always require a password to access your VM even when calling from your own phone.

      Spoofing Caller ID has been around for years. I don’t consider this hacking – this is more of a social engineering deal.

      As for it being legal or not that depends on where you live. I would dare say that it is not ethical regardless of where you live.

      Report Post » Silent_Majority  
  • jarasan
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 8:44pm

    This is BS wanna believe crap.

    Report Post » jarasan  
  • Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 8:44pm

    Let me paint a picture for you… you buy a new house. The builder turns over the keys to you and tells you you really need to have the locks all changed, because that same key fits every lock on every home they built. Not only that, but there’s a spare key just like it hidden on top of the door frame to the front door of each house, so anyone who has bought one of their homes knows where to find them.

    Now, let’s say it would cost you $5 per lock to change them, so you don’t bother. You just live in your home, locking the door everyday when you leave for work, even knowing that there are keys for your locks EVERYWHERE. Then, one day, someone breaks in (using a key to the locks you refused to change) and cleans you out. Everything you own, gone. Not only that, but you realize that someone’s been coming in periodicly over the last several months and taking little things here and there.

    Now. Question… Whose fault is it?

    To be sure, the person or persons who performed the theft is culpable, but two people could have taken steps to prevent it, and neither one did. Your home builder could have installed unique locks in each home, and you, the home owner, could have followed the home builder’s advice and changed the locks.

    This is directly analogous to the voicemail “hacking” situation. Cell phone carriers put default PINs on each new account, and few if any users took 5 minutes to chang their pins. Anyone who knew the default PIN could read any voicemail box.

    Report Post » Lesbian Packing Hollow Points  
  • RavenGlenn
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 8:24pm

    I‘ve had Verizon for years and years and haven’t yet had a phone that would just go straight to my voicemail without asking me for the password. I didn’t have to do anything special to set it up that way either. By default, you are asked for your pin each and every single time you call your voicemail.

    Report Post »  
  • BubbaT
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 7:38pm

    I have software that send a piercing audio signal into a hacker’s brain that kills them immediately if they try to hack my phone, computer, vehicle, home alarm, sink disposal. Yes we know anything electronic can be hacked no big surprise.

    It‘s the Governments I’m worried about. Not some geek.

    Report Post » BubbaT  
  • clinker
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 7:32pm

    Nobody ever sends me voicemail.

    Am I safe?

    Report Post » clinker  
  • ThoreauHD
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 7:09pm

    Linux FTW

    Report Post » ThoreauHD  
  • Siulingra
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 7:08pm

    I am a VOIP technician, considered a Master in my trade. What they dont tell you is that PSTN, or phone companies force you to sign waivers and make it VERY difficult for you to spoof telephone name and number, otherwise known as ANI DNIS. They frown upon it (allowing it) and if you are caught, legal remifications can quickly ensue and are more than willing to give the police/FBI all the records. We have been able to do this for years, just takes the public a long time to learn it….

    Report Post »  
  • JediKnight
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 7:05pm

    This isn’t hacking (and Mitnick should know better than to call it that). This is a feature that many people are told about (it’s in the handbook) but that don‘t set it up because it isn’t “convenient”. I’ve set my own phone up exactly the way he describes. I’m asked for my pass code every time I try to access vm, whether it’s from another phone or from my cell. And I did that just in case I ever lose my phone, no one could access my vm but me.

    I seriously doubt this is how News of the World accessed that voicemail. It’s more likely that they guessed the most popular passcode, 0000 or 1111.

    If you want to protect yourself, choose random digits (the longer the better) and enable the feature the requires your pass code no matter what.

    Report Post »  
  • ejbonk
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 6:52pm

    Aww,The digital Age,isn’t it Wonderful. Glad,I don’t have Voice Mail,just the old Fashion Landline and Answering Machine,with Tape. LOL

    Report Post »  
  • drphil69
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 6:22pm

    Is this actually considered “hacking?”

    Report Post »  
    • Svt4Him
      Posted on August 30, 2011 at 6:31pm

      Yes. Well, that wasn’t. But it’s cool to see Kevin is still educating. He had a few good hacking type books out..

      Report Post »  
  • Spqr1
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 6:16pm

    BBC covered this several weeks ago. Beckians again behind the curve.

    Report Post »  
    • geonj
      Posted on August 30, 2011 at 6:24pm

      fool

      Report Post » geonj  
    • bikerr
      Posted on August 30, 2011 at 8:08pm

      @Spqr1— You are probably right, but we were busy watching how our President Obama is wrecking United States Of America. So I guess a little hacker isn’t a top thing on our list. When you get out of your parents basement and see the light of day, you’ll understand.

      Report Post »  
  • Ron_WA
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 5:44pm

    This & identity theft are the stuff people on The Blaze should really be worried about not Climate Change scientists, Russian anarchists, or Israel but the stuff that can put a personal hurt on you.

    Report Post » Ron_WA  
  • welovetheUSA
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 5:33pm

    Who cares……..voice mail, if your foolish enought to leave important voice message than its on you.

    Report Post » welovetheUSA  
  • TX_45_ACP
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 5:21pm

    I have a voip phone. I guess I could do this. Anyone know the number of … never mind.

    Report Post » TX_45_ACP  
  • Variable
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 5:02pm

    I think you still need a SIP phone service for this to work or you will not be able to spoof the number. Just thinking about how phone systems and lines work and I am fairly certain this is the case….
    Astrix setup + plugin to spoof + SIP (not a normal phone line connection) + cell number to hack + stupidity = hacking voice mail (there I fixed that for you)

    Report Post » Variable  
    • JediKnight
      Posted on August 30, 2011 at 7:07pm

      You need a SIP capable phone (easy to get), not SIP capable phone service. Asterisk, like many VoIP systems, uses your Internet connection. So you need cable/dsl/fios service, a SIP capable phone or adapter, and an Asterisk system.

      Report Post »  
  • gmoneytx
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 4:43pm

    I’m sleepy

    Report Post » gmoneytx  
  • Evil Bert
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 3:50pm

    So funny how something that we’ve been doing for quite some time and a group gets caught using a relatively old trick and it makes international news, somehow this is like some new security threat to people.

    Anyway, why people don’t password protect their voicemail is beyond me. You password protect everything else, but not your VM? Really?

    2600Hz…

    Report Post »  
  • COFemale
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 3:17pm

    Considering I don’t get any important calls on my phone much less calls period, I am not worried about this. The most the hacker will get is my voice message from the stupid workforce center leaving me a message about a job.

    Report Post » COFemale  
    • UlyssesP
      Posted on August 30, 2011 at 3:50pm

      Careful with those workforce bureaucrats. Too long a story to post here, but they will shadow you to every job you get, whether they assisted or not, and harass your employer. They almost got me fired in FL until my boss heard me telling the woman who called our office to go F off and she’s not getting any state funds for getting me a job because I found this one on my own. She kept yapping until I essentially threatened her life. She hung up. Never heard from them again. That was 6 years ago. Careful with those apparatchiks.

      Report Post » UlyssesP  
  • sWampy
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 3:08pm

    Still can’t believe anyone calls this hacking, this is less of a hack than punching in 1234 to see if you changed the default password, always password protect your voicemail people.

    Report Post »  
    • cessna152
      Posted on August 30, 2011 at 3:11pm

      Go ahead and listen to my voice mails… you’ll be bored to DEATH.

      Report Post » cessna152  
  • islandlady
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 3:07pm

    Backdoors, Hacking, GPS, Body and Face Recognition, Email Purchase Receipts. They know where you are what you are dong, Who you are doing it with, and what you are buying. People are a creature of habit. So change yours a bit.

    Report Post » islandlady  
  • NJTMATO
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 3:05pm

    I wouldn’t go to that site just because you interrupt my thought process on this site. Go away please!

    Report Post » NJTMATO  
  • elisabeth9911
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 2:37pm

    That is scary.

    Report Post »  
    • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
      Posted on August 30, 2011 at 2:52pm

      What do you get paid to spam your GetaPenny.com blogs like this?

      Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
    • NJTMATO
      Posted on August 30, 2011 at 3:04pm

      Really, your spam for the so called deals are quite annoying, I really wish you’d stop. Have reported those posts numerous times.

      Report Post » NJTMATO  
    • cessna152
      Posted on August 30, 2011 at 3:24pm

      If I could only get an Ipad for $46… $47 is WAY too much money….Oh please help.

      Report Post » cessna152  
  • jjoy
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 2:34pm

    Your “government” can listen to your voicemail without “hacking”…

    Report Post » jjoy  
  • goobert
    Posted on August 30, 2011 at 2:30pm

    Proud to be a nerd.

    Report Post » goobert  
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