Hacker Develops Program To Make ATMs Spit Out Free Cash [Atm]

ATMs use computers. Computers have weaknesses. Hackers exploit weaknesses. See where it’s going? A hacker developed software that may force an ATM\’s computer to offer free cash. Luckily for banks, he showed off his technique at the Black Hat conference.

How did hacker Barnaby Jack, director of security research for IOActive Inc, have the capacity to trick ATMs into giving him all they’ve? Rather simply, actually. One manufacturer\’s ATMs used an identical physical key to access its computers. Once opened, he threw in his software and forced the ATM to make it rain:

He figured [that every one ATMs have an identical key] by ordering three ATMs from different manufacturers for a couple of thousand dollars each. Then he compared the keys he got with pictures of different keys, found on the web. He used his key to unlock a compartment inside the ATM that had standard USB slots. He then inserted a program he had written into one of them, commanding the ATM to dump its vaults.

The computers inside the ATMs were all running Windows CE and there are actually even more methods to commandeer them. Barnaby\’s particular method was shown off at the Black Hat conference-where hackers show vulnerabilities to companies-so don\’t think which you could just go e-mail Barnaby for the how one can. [SFGate]

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This post is tagged: atm, ATMs, cash, Develops, Hacker, out, program, spit