Michael Wolraich's picture

    Dagblog Hack Alert

    Hi everyone, I recently discovered that dagblog has been hacked. The North Korean government denies responsibility, but supreme leader Kim Jong Un has been known to harbor animosity against dagblog after we suspended his account for ad hominem attacks, hijacking comment threads, crimes against humanity, and other ToS violations. Homeland Security has been notified and promises to take unspecified reprisals against unspecified nations as soon as they figure out their funding situation.

    In all seriousness, the site was hacked. I don't believe that the hackers did anything other than use our server as a spam-generator, but as a precaution, I suggest that you make sure that you're not using your dagblog email and password on other sites that have more sensitive information. If you are, I recommend that you change your passwords on those other sites. There is no need to change your dagblog password. I don't think the hackers are interested is blogging here. But if it makes you feel more comfortable, you can change it here or go to My Account in the top bar.

    I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience. I will add additional security precautions to prevent this from happening in the future.

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    Comments

    Thanks for letting us know.  

    Good news is FCC came through with Net Neutrality. Very historical day. I watched the TV announcement and was impressed with the reasoning. 


    Interesting. A number of blogs and other sites have been hacked as well in the past few weeks.


    Hey Chris, long time no see. (Unless you're not cmaukonen but rather a concern troll / hacker disguised as cmaukonen.)


    Woo dagblog made the big time.  :)

     


    Wow, nothing like getting hacked to bring the old hands back ;) We should get this done more often.


    I'd just like to say that all those comments by "me" that were incredibly stupid... They weren't posted by me. Obviously someone else posted them using my name when they got my password during the hack.


    Not to include your comments on "lastwordism" which I thought were excellent----and I hope you don't mind my adding that.


    What about last word?


    Oh yes, the smart well written comments were definitely posted by me. It's those dumb ones that the hacker posted to discredit me that I'm referring to.


    And I suppose those nude photos weren't you either? #TheHackerDidIt


    Oh.....Ah,   yeah. Those photos. I'd like to say on the record that those nude photos of that guy with the tiny little penis, not me. Definitely not me. Definitely.

    I'm not gonna out the guy but Bill O'reilly happened to be there when the photos were taken and can vouch that it was definitely not me. Not me at all.

    That O'reilly, pretty amazing. He's been every where and seen every thing. That guy just seems to get around.


    O-K, it was worth the hacking for your comments alone.  Too funny!


    Okay, I admit it.

    I photochopped.


    does this mean I cannot use the 'f' word or just that I cannot bank here anymore?

    You still have those bitcoins, right?


    I am Spartacus. Or somebody who hacked him. Maybe Kirk Douglas. Or one of those young people on TV.

    Damn, where did I put that password sheet?

    It is good to see old friends show up here.

    Dolphins rule: The Colorado kind.
    Ohio is cool. Maybe more than is strictly necessary.

    Trojan ponies are cute.


    You know, sometimes you just don't make any cents at all!

    Besides, there is no evidence of any chin demarcation at all.

    I know, because I wikied it.


    You expect me to lead a major slave revolt while maintaining a continuous revenue stream.
    Trust me, this dents my chin.


    I hear it's some dude who used to run a secret cafe, looking to shake down some old customers. They say he's pretty slick ... call him "The Marshall".


    Hmmmm.


    I knew it!


    Was this an inside job, by a disgruntled employee?. 

    As one who always suspects a conspiracy this sure seems fishy.

    So if you don't here from me.  

    La Raza,  Catholic Church or some left wing liberal organization? 


    Yeah, I'm not really back, it just looks like I am...carry on.


    This is scary. As if there's some secret society of dag ex-pats tut-tutting about how I let dag get hacked. ;)


    Oh Mike, I have not tut tutted in so many years....

    Sorry, I just have memory, of some sorts.

    Jeeeeez, I recall tut tutting so well sometimes.

    the end


    It's like riding a bike...


    Maybe it was that person you confronted a few months ago, and  she/he didn't like being called out or embarrassed, so they are striking back in their vindictiveness, and now with malice they want to hurt you, proving you are powerless against them.  


    Wow, you could have posted this comment anonymously and I would still be 99% sure of who wrote it. I.E., use weapons emotionally, weapons are power, power is weapons. Ever hear this one? Knowledge is power. Or this one? mind over matter. Here's mho, shared by many: vandalism is weakness.

    And actually,  to move on, your hypothetical is quite unlikely, and we are most likely facing someone/a group here trying to use knowledge as power, but ineptly. I.E., the knowledge of how to hack for economic benefit, very far from emotional striking out. What you are talking about is late 90's chat room behavior....

    the strange part about it for me is I sense in what you say a desire to strike fear in Michael about trying to enforce T.O.S. I would guess that this would have the opposite effect on someone like Michael. I know a little of what I speak on that front, having served as a moderator in the olden internet days.This kind of subtle threatening will not get you the respect you desire, just the opposite, as you are showing a propensity to empathize with those who act out on their emotions. Rather than those who are looking for rational discourse.


    There was no threat in my comment and I have never threatened anyone. 

    I don't know where you were, but the event I spoke of was real.  It wasn't that long ago (couple months maybe six ?) and practically every night, Someone one kept posting and asking Michael about how much money was needed or how to set up a blog? and if I remember correctly, Michael called them pricks or fuckers trying to run them off. 

    ASK him  if he remembers the incident before accusing me of maliciousness.  

    These folks were already trying to wreak havoc, and maybe had it out for him or  because they suffered a temporary setback and not to be undaunted they have been trying to get back on the system

    WHO ?

    I provided a lead, of an earlier encounter to who might have hacked Michaels site 

    As Michael  believes, they were trying to use this site for personal gain and it wouldn't surprise me the folks he had tried to run off earlier are back. 

    Edited to add 

    Maybe I should have been more clear,  I am a geek too and I don't know if the information I provided to Michael is helpful. 


    Pretty long stretch - ask Firedoglake - there are a lot of possibilities on the Internetz for hacking & denial of service attacks (if that's what this was) without it being anyone known or a disgruntled user, et al. Including famed China Unit 61398, rather competent Russian hackers, Iran's up-and-coming team, our own NSA + UK's GCHK, plus our government's select referral outsourced professional hackers Palantir-HB Gary-Berico, or those guys just cruising for bank info, etc etc

    I'd say "follow the money", but God knows there's no money here, so maybe "follow the fish (dag) smell". I submit that Michael may have hacked himself just to feel important, or at least be part of the overwhelming trend.


    The motive was financial. They were using the server to send out spam.


    ToS violation - Spam's supposed to stay right here on the blog ;-)

    Geek question: with this kind of hacking, is one protected if they are logged out during the hack attack? Or is it more like taking someone's whole contact list?


    The latter. They could have gained access to the database. That said, the passwords are encrypted, so there's probably not much risk. I just sent the advice about passwords as a precaution.


    Because of her mentioning contact lists, I think she may be referring to email accounts.


    Email addresses could have been accessed but just the bare address. In theory, the hacker could add the email addresses to a spam list, but if you've somehow maintained a pristine, spam-free email address, I want to know your secret.


    Though I always enjoy a glimpse of the infamous Genghis snark, it won't earn you any of my secrets.


    I just register for trade mags & freebies using genghis at dagblog.com.

    Leaves my regular email address mean & clean.


    lol!


    This hacking problem is getting worse and worse. I see that the In The News section has an article about a blogger in Bangladesh that was hacked to death. I think we're all grateful that this hack was so minor and that you're ok.


    and again!


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