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Blue Toad says 98 percent of the IDs match records copied illicitly from its database two weeks ago

Members calling themselves members of the hacker collective Anonymous and the movement AntiSec claimed to have stolen 12 million UDIDs (unique device identifier) that are used to uniquely identify an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

The groups claimed to have stolen the data from "a Dell Vostro notebook, used by Supervisor Special Agent Christopher K. Stangl from FBI Regional Cyber Action Team and New York FBI Office Evidence Response Team."

But an app developer is calling that claim into serious question, after it decided to come clean, claiming the ids were stolen from its databases, not from the FBI.  It said all 1 million UDIDs nearly all (98 percent) matched those in its scooped table.  It claimed the table was illegitimately accessed two weeks ago -- not back in March as Anonymous/AntiSec had claimed.

An Apple, Inc. (AAPL) spokesperson confirmed this was possible, commenting, "As an app developer, BlueToad would have access to a user's device information such as UDID, device name and type. Developers do not have access to users' account information, passwords or credit card information, unless a user specifically elects to provide that information to the developer."

Blue Toad
Blue Toad helps newspapers and other publications monetize their content via an app platform for the iPhone and iPad.

Pauld Dehart, CEO of BlueToad, who makes apps for written content publishers (e.g. magazines), commented, "As soon as we found out we were involved and victimized, we approached the appropriate law enforcement officials, and we began to take steps to come forward, clear the record and take responsibility for this."

Of course if you were prone to conspiracy theories, you could imagine that Blue Toad was "covering" for the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.  More likely, though, whoever took the data -- be it Anonymous/AntiSec or someone posing as the well-known "hacktivist" groups -- spun the yarn about the FBI laptop to make the tale of a pedestrian SQL injection effort a bit more exciting.

If so, the ploy worked -- the story received truckloads of attention from the media.  

The story is similar, in some ways, to Goatse Security's 2010 illicit capture of 114,000 ICC-IDs -- another unique identifier code which are associated with iPad/iPhones' SIM cards on AT&T, Inc.'s (T) U.S. network.

Source: NBC News


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Um
By NellyFromMA on 9/10/2012 3:09:54 PM , Rating: 3
Why would anonymous lie about the source of the data? And why would a company only fess up to it after the claim was made and not use due dilligence to inform sooner?

When a random company comes and says 'nope, not the fbi it was really my data' it doesn't really make me any less suspicious of the original claim.

After all, anonymous stole the data either way; they aren't any more or less in trouble. On the other hand, the FBI has a lot more eg on their face if they confirm the incident.

More facts, please.




RE: Um
By FITCamaro on 9/10/2012 3:15:57 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Why would anonymous lie about the source of the data?


Because they have egos and wanted to inflate them.


RE: Um
By othercents on 9/10/2012 4:01:22 PM , Rating: 1
Or they didn't know. The Apple application developers have been lulled into a sense of security by the measures taken by Apple to make sure that only virus free software makes it to the devices. If all developers get the IDs then they must not be very important unless you can get software onto the device to exploit it (IE. application that will allow people to remote view you through the camera).


RE: Um
By kattanna on 9/10/2012 3:21:21 PM , Rating: 2
what would really be funny is if the FBI obtained the file while looking into said hacking event that apple is talking about.. and then it was stolen from them


RE: Um
By Stosh68 on 9/10/2012 5:22:07 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Why would anonymous lie about the source of the data?


Because when you steal from the FBI, you're an internet hero. If you steal from some mundane company you're just a thief.

Besides, Anonymous knows there are enough tin foil hat wearers that will believe anything they say. If Anonymous claims they stole 10 million serial box lids from the FBI, they know the next day the internet will be filled with people afraid that the FBI is tracking who eats Lucky Charms and Frosted Flakes.


RE: Um
By Ammohunt on 9/10/2012 6:14:30 PM , Rating: 3
Hell they should have claimed they stole the UUID's from the NSA! go big or go home!


RE: Um
By NellyFromMA on 9/12/2012 11:30:34 AM , Rating: 2
I mean, the first thing I'd think about when contemplating lying about something would be "am I going to get caught".

I just feel like if you are intelligent enough to put together a hack attempt (even a rudimentary and otherwise lame 'hack') you would be intelligent enoguh to realize that the truth would come out nearly instantly.

I just don't think of hackers as the most short-sighted individuals. That's just an opinion I guess but it strikes me as odd. Anything IS possible though...


What can you do with UID?
By aurareturn on 9/10/2012 2:41:33 PM , Rating: 2
Can someone shed some light on what hackers can actually do with these unique identifiers?




RE: What can you do with UID?
By Neodude007 on 9/10/2012 3:00:16 PM , Rating: 2
I would like this answer too. If all these random app devs have these numbers they cannot possibly be of much use...


RE: What can you do with UID?
By NellyFromMA on 9/10/2012 3:06:53 PM , Rating: 2
I guess you couldn't really know what you can do with a Unique Identifier until you illicitly gain access to another related peice of functionality.

In other words, on their own, probably not much. however, it's not much of a stretch to (again) illegally gain access to internal systems and use the UID as a means of stealing specific information reltaed to that device/user.

Any information or insight into a value like a Unique ID is prized to hackers. Particularly if information can be gleemed from it to broaden the data illegally retrieved.

The IDs on there own aren't much, but they certainly can affect the shape of future breaches.


RE: What can you do with UID?
By Mitch101 on 9/10/2012 4:38:23 PM , Rating: 2
Why, I can make a hat or a brooch or a pterodactyl.


RE: What can you do with UID?
By NellyFromMA on 9/10/2012 3:12:56 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
More likely, though, whoever took the data -- be it Anonymous/AntiSec or someone posing as the well-known "hacktivist" groups -- spun the yarn about the FBI laptop to make the tale of a pedestrian SQL injection effort a bit more exciting.


I think that's a taller stretch than the original claim or toted 'conspiracy theory'.

Anyone 'pedestrian' enough to think of making a claim of breaching federal security surely would be too scared or unable to protect or otherwise obfuscate themselves from law enforcement.

It kinda just doesn't make sense.


I usually expect the best pictures on Daily Tech
By Schmide on 9/10/2012 6:59:44 PM , Rating: 2
but the Arstechnica picture was the best this time.

Especially since that's a Frog.

http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/09/publishing-fi...




By Schmide on 9/10/2012 7:01:52 PM , Rating: 2
By dark matter on 9/10/2012 3:54:29 PM , Rating: 2
Said the FBI.




What the world has come to...
By Strunf on 9/11/2012 7:15:24 AM , Rating: 2
A couple years back companies would let the FBI get all the press but today they even fight for bad press... it's like with famous people be it bad or good press it's all good as long as we keep hearing/speaking of them.




"We basically took a look at this situation and said, this is bullshit." -- Newegg Chief Legal Officer Lee Cheng's take on patent troll Soverain











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