What does hacking actually LOOK like? For example, what interface is the hacker using, what’s their goal, and are they typing in a bunch of passwords like in the movies?
In: Technology
I do a lot of hacking on a particular video game. I’m actually looking for vulnerabilities so I can *fix* them, but that doesn’t mean I’m above using exploits to fuck with people now and then.
Once I have an idea of what feature might be exploitable, most of my time is spent simply reading source code. I find the section of code that pertains to what I want to do, then I follow the code flow backwards through all possible branches to find a way to invoke that code remotely without authorization.
Once I find a path to the code I want to exploit, it’s ten to twenty minutes writing new code to do the exact secret dance needed to make this thing happen. Then I go online, test it out, and wait for other players to be confused.
If it’s something that needs to be fixed, instead of just being useful, I’ll push a fix through community channels and send a report to the developers.
Almost nothing happens in real time, and there is very rarely multiple console windows scrolling text while me and six other people mash the same keyboard. It’s about studying the system you’re attacking and finding the most efficient path into the code you want to exploit.
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