A hacker, known for unleashing a worm on the once-popular MySpace social network, said he has devised a technique to crack under two minutes any combination by Master Lock, a padlock company owned by Fortune Brands Home & Security Inc.
Samy Kamkar, best known for the 2005 "Samy" worm, posted a video on his Twitter page explaining the technique, which involves lifting up the locked shackle of a lock, and making multiple turns of it. The resultant readings are then entered on to a website set up by Kamkar. The algorithm in the site gives a number of possible combinations that can help unlock the lock.
Kamkar told technology site Ars Technica, which first reported the news, that his Master Lock exploit started with a well-known vulnerability that allows combinations to be cracked in 100 or fewer tries.
IN-DEPTH
- Hackers Hit Banks for $1 Billion, Security Company Says
- Anthem, Major Health Insurer, Suffers Hack Attack
- Sony Hack is Bad, But Real Cyberwar is All Around You
--- Reuters