Did I do the right thing?

[PM8228]

Some idiot put a BIOS password on a computer at my school library. Nobody in the library could use the computer so I took it upon myself to help. I tried random passwords (123456, etc...) and I eventually go it and removed that password. The librarian then got mad at me and demanded to know that password. I did not know what it was, but I told her that I had removed it, and that I could not tell her. The network administrators start going through my server space and think I have hacked the school network, and have the ability to change grades. Shouldn't they be paying me, or at least thanking me for doing them a service?

[Tachyon]

You could not tell her because you forgot?

I'm assuming there is a little more meat to this story (Tone of voice, other factors) But if you do something and then tell them you cannot give them certain information, then of course they are going to be suspicious. They are this way because of lack of information that they feel you have, and as a result, they might speculate that you have other more important information that you are hiding.

Also how did the librarian know you removed the BIOS pass. Why was the BIOS pass hindering the use of the computer, unless you wanted to boot from a disk other then the harddrive. If thats the case, then why?

More info please

[groovicus]

No, they should be kicking your butt fot screwing around with their computer. And I guess you figured out who the idiot was that put the password on it (that would be the person that got mad).

Maybe you should have asked permission to do that...If I were the type to jump to conclusions, I would assume you just did it to try and impress your friends.

Bottom line, if it's not yours, I would leave it alone. It was passworded for a reason. Be glad you didn't get expelled. And pray nobody else gets into the computer, because they are going to blame you first.

Good luck.

[HTRegz]

While it may seem to you like you did the school a favour, that is not always true. Undoubtedly you had to sign a paper in order to use the schools computer systems, and going into the BIOS definately violates the Terms of Use. The proper thing to do would have been to tell them immediately and offer to fix it for them, or just point out the problem.

Think about it this way. If someone is walking down the street and they see your headlights are on, do you want them going inside your car to turn them off? What if you walked out as they were in your car, or they came and told you that they were inside it but just to turn off the headlights. I wouldn't believe them.

The key thing to remember is that if it isn't yours, dont do anything without permission and even then unless you really trust the person try and get that permission in writing. Say the librarian had told you to fix the computer if you'd told her first, then the Network Admin finds out and the librarian says she never gave you permission, you'd be in hot water yet again.

Computers keep opening doors to whole new areas of Ethics and Law, you have to be very careful of what you are doing. Never attempt to show off and never attempt to do something for gratitude, unless you have been asked to.

[VicE$DoS$]

Hi PM8228,

so I took it upon myself to help. I tried random passwords (123456, etc...) and I eventually go it and removed that password. The librarian then got mad at me and demanded to know that password. I did not know what it was, but I told her that I had removed it, and that I could not tell her

Seems fair enough, perhaps you should've let the Librarian or the NetAdmin know before you began your password cracking mission.... But if you discovered the password why couldnt you remember it? Where you using a tool or doing it manually?

The network administrators start going through my server space and think I have hacked the school network, and have the ability to change grades.

Ok here comes the obvious questions:
* Have you 'hacked' the school network?
* Have you changed your or anybody elses grade?

If the answer is no (and I hope it is) what do you have on your serverspace?
Is it just school stuff or do you have a collection of ub3r l337 hax0r1ng t00lz?

Cheers
V$D$

[PM8228]

My communication skills suck.. The BIOS password on the computer was not put there by the school, or school authorized. A kid in one of my classes put it there (I overheard him telling someone else).

You could not tell her because you forgot?

Yes. As previously stated I just type in stuff as fast as I could, a manual brute force :/. The librarian said, "We couldn't get this computer to work." Then proceeded to ask for the password, which I didnt know. BTW the netadmin didnt know what BIOS password was... So why would they look into my files at school.

And to humor those of you who think I should get it :-p, 1 day out of school suspension, 1 day in school, and 3 hours after school on wednesday.

Ok here comes the obvious questions:
* Have you 'hacked' the school network?
* Have you changed your or anybody elses grade?

If the answer is no (and I hope it is) what do you have on your serverspace?
Is it just school stuff or do you have a collection of ub3r l337 hax0r1ng t00lz?

Cheers
V$D$

I did no hack the network because 1) it's not the right thing to do and 2) I will get in trouble, and 3) I can not hack, plain and simple. I code, that is what I am good at. As for "l337 t00lz" I have NESSUS at home... The only thing occupying my server space was an exact replica of my schedule and school work.

[VicE$DoS$]

PM8228,

Okay mate fair enough, Lets put everything aside for a moment. Acceptable use polices, ethics and the law.....oh and that ****ing retarded bitch ass librarian.

You seem like a good guy, I think what you did is commendable.
Well done for reversing some ****ing idiots lame idea of a joke / inconvieniance.

I hope they dont punish you, If they do .. sneak into the staff room after school and put lots of laxative in the kettle.

I actually feel a bit sorry for you so Im gonna give you a greenie.

Cheer$
V$D$

[Tachyon]

Like I said:

"They are this way because of lack of information that they feel you have, and as a result, they might speculate that you have other more important information that you are hiding. "


Like HTRegz said:

Think about it this way. If someone is walking down the street and they see your headlights are on, do you want them going inside your car to turn them off? What if you walked out as they were in your car, or they came and told you that they were inside it but just to turn off the headlights. I wouldn't believe them.


You opened the door of mistrust.


Also the whole "I just type in stuff as fast as I could, a manual brute force " is a bit weak...

If you were doing logical strings as "qwerty" "ytrewq" "password" "admin" "12345" "54321" ETC then you would have easily remembered what the last attempt you typed in was.

Anyway now you know...and knowing is half the battle

[MrLinus]

Originally posted here by PM8228
My communication skills suck..

It sounds like everyones communication skills are lacking. While what you did was commendable, perhaps for future endeavours and such, you ask them beforehand. I don't think they want to be anal retentive or what-have-you but because you changed something that they were either unaware of or unable to fix or unwilling to fix, it makes them nervous and they begin to wonder.

While you shouldn't have fixed it without asking permission first or telling someone beforehand that you were willing to take them time to do a "brute force" so that other students could end up using that machine, they shouldn't have classified you as "guilty" of a crime. Perhaps after this is over, you can point out to the admin that perhaps it might be a good idea for him/her to put their own passwords on there so that curious students won't and then situations like this won't happen again.

[PM8228]

Thanks. Oh yah, sorry for a double post, but our school has 1 T1 line for the entire district so its slow.
As a general question, to be a network admin you have to know how to hack, to prevent it, right?