antivaxxer hijacks QR codes
- Stephanie
- Stummy Beige
- Posts: 2903
- Joined: Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:38 pm
- Location: clinging tenaciously to your buttocks
antivaxxer hijacks QR codes
Interesting story here about an anti-vaxxer in Australia basically putting his own QR codes over those used for contact tracking - which then took anyone scanning them to an anti-vax website.
https://threatpost.com/anti-vaxxer-hija ... 19/165701/
https://threatpost.com/anti-vaxxer-hija ... 19/165701/
"I got a flu virus named after me 'cause I kissed a bat on a dare."
Re: antivaxxer hijacks QR codes
f.cking hell, what an utter shithouse.
I'm very glad that he'll be going to jail
I'm very glad that he'll be going to jail
- sTeamTraen
- After Pie
- Posts: 2572
- Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 4:24 pm
- Location: Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Re: antivaxxer hijacks QR codes
This is despicable, but it's true that it's a pretty trivial exploit. QR codes on restaurant tables are pretty common round here and it would be "amusing" to replace them with a rival menu, or Goatse or whatever.
Something something hammer something something nail
- Bird on a Fire
- Princess POW
- Posts: 10142
- Joined: Fri Oct 11, 2019 5:05 pm
- Location: Portugal
Re: antivaxxer hijacks QR codes
Activists do it too. For instance, a QR code on a Shell ad might instead go to a website about climate change.sTeamTraen wrote: ↑Sat May 01, 2021 1:40 pmThis is despicable, but it's true that it's a pretty trivial exploit. QR codes on restaurant tables are pretty common round here and it would be "amusing" to replace them with a rival menu, or Goatse or whatever.
Surpring goatse-ing people could be quite amusing, in certain contexts.
We have the right to a clean, healthy, sustainable environment.
-
- Snowbonk
- Posts: 558
- Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2019 8:05 am
Re: antivaxxer hijacks QR codes
This needs to be put into context. In South Australia, QR codes for registration are being used as part of the contract tracing process for COVID-19. If you don't have a smart phone, you are required to physically sign in every time you enter a premises. It is a requirement for business to provide information about everyone who has entered their premises to the Government.
And you all thought 1984 was just a novel. The rules are only in place for the duration of the declared emergency to do with the pandemic.
And you all thought 1984 was just a novel. The rules are only in place for the duration of the declared emergency to do with the pandemic.
Here grows much rhubarb.
- basementer
- Dorkwood
- Posts: 1504
- Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 1:03 pm
- Location: 8024, Aotearoa
- Contact:
Re: antivaxxer hijacks QR codes
Don't know how it works over there, but in NZ the QR codes are scanned from within a specific app. If you scan one it doesn't recognise, it doesn't interpret it as a web address and launch a browser. It just says that it doesn't recognise it.Stephanie wrote: ↑Fri Apr 30, 2021 2:07 pmInteresting story here about an anti-vaxxer in Australia basically putting his own QR codes over those used for contact tracking - which then took anyone scanning them to an anti-vax website.
https://threatpost.com/anti-vaxxer-hija ... 19/165701/
Money is just a substitute for luck anyway. - Tom Siddell
Re: antivaxxer hijacks QR codes
WA has an app, which sounds like the NZ one. But Victoria relies on the phone's QR reader, so could be hijacked in this way.basementer wrote: ↑Mon May 03, 2021 2:43 amDon't know how it works over there, but in NZ the QR codes are scanned from within a specific app. If you scan one it doesn't recognise, it doesn't interpret it as a web address and launch a browser. It just says that it doesn't recognise it.Stephanie wrote: ↑Fri Apr 30, 2021 2:07 pmInteresting story here about an anti-vaxxer in Australia basically putting his own QR codes over those used for contact tracking - which then took anyone scanning them to an anti-vax website.
https://threatpost.com/anti-vaxxer-hija ... 19/165701/
"My interest is in the future, because I'm going to spend the rest of my life there"
- basementer
- Dorkwood
- Posts: 1504
- Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 1:03 pm
- Location: 8024, Aotearoa
- Contact:
Re: antivaxxer hijacks QR codes
Mm, OK. I'd say I thought that sounded like a foreseeable security risk, except that these systems had to be built and deployed under worse pressure than I ever had to deal with.Martin_B wrote: ↑Mon May 03, 2021 3:29 amWA has an app, which sounds like the NZ one. But Victoria relies on the phone's QR reader, so could be hijacked in this way.basementer wrote: ↑Mon May 03, 2021 2:43 amDon't know how it works over there, but in NZ the QR codes are scanned from within a specific app. If you scan one it doesn't recognise, it doesn't interpret it as a web address and launch a browser. It just says that it doesn't recognise it.Stephanie wrote: ↑Fri Apr 30, 2021 2:07 pmInteresting story here about an anti-vaxxer in Australia basically putting his own QR codes over those used for contact tracking - which then took anyone scanning them to an anti-vax website.
https://threatpost.com/anti-vaxxer-hija ... 19/165701/
Money is just a substitute for luck anyway. - Tom Siddell
Re: antivaxxer hijacks QR codes
Even so, a national rollout of the same App would surely have made sense.basementer wrote: ↑Mon May 03, 2021 4:36 amMm, OK. I'd say I thought that sounded like a foreseeable security risk, except that these systems had to be built and deployed under worse pressure than I ever had to deal with.Martin_B wrote: ↑Mon May 03, 2021 3:29 amWA has an app, which sounds like the NZ one. But Victoria relies on the phone's QR reader, so could be hijacked in this way.basementer wrote: ↑Mon May 03, 2021 2:43 am
Don't know how it works over there, but in NZ the QR codes are scanned from within a specific app. If you scan one it doesn't recognise, it doesn't interpret it as a web address and launch a browser. It just says that it doesn't recognise it.
Re: antivaxxer hijacks QR codes
That requires the different states to agree, and agree with the federal government. The federal government has already produced a particularly useless app and some states were against having any kind of app.tom p wrote: ↑Wed May 05, 2021 12:26 pmEven so, a national rollout of the same App would surely have made sense.basementer wrote: ↑Mon May 03, 2021 4:36 amMm, OK. I'd say I thought that sounded like a foreseeable security risk, except that these systems had to be built and deployed under worse pressure than I ever had to deal with.
"My interest is in the future, because I'm going to spend the rest of my life there"
Re: antivaxxer hijacks QR codes
At least there are only seven states here and none of them are run by nutters. Last year, the states ganged up to effectively force the federal government into zero tolerance of covid infections, for which I am immensely grateful.
Interstate travel is a bit marginal at the moment anyway, since the borders close with little warning whenever there's community transmission of covid, so it doesn't really matter that each state uses a different app. Most people are starting close to home or traveling to a single other state for a holiday. We're not all doing constant laps of the continent.
-
- Snowbonk
- Posts: 558
- Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2019 8:05 am
Re: antivaxxer hijacks QR codes
The Commonwealth Government rolled out an app that is useless. The states are responsible for contact tracing, so some states created their own apps based on locations, rather than Bluetooth connections to other phones. Had the Commonwealth Government got it right the first time, there would have been one app.
Here grows much rhubarb.
Re: antivaxxer hijacks QR codes
Psst, Squeak. 6 states and 2 territories.Squeak wrote: ↑Sat May 08, 2021 9:43 amAt least there are only seven states here and none of them are run by nutters. Last year, the states ganged up to effectively force the federal government into zero tolerance of covid infections, for which I am immensely grateful.
Interstate travel is a bit marginal at the moment anyway, since the borders close with little warning whenever there's community transmission of covid, so it doesn't really matter that each state uses a different app. Most people are starting close to home or traveling to a single other state for a holiday. We're not all doing constant laps of the continent.
"My interest is in the future, because I'm going to spend the rest of my life there"
Re: antivaxxer hijacks QR codes
Oops. I'll just have in my passport now, shall I?Martin_B wrote: ↑Sun May 09, 2021 7:49 amPsst, Squeak. 6 states and 2 territories.Squeak wrote: ↑Sat May 08, 2021 9:43 amAt least there are only seven states here and none of them are run by nutters. Last year, the states ganged up to effectively force the federal government into zero tolerance of covid infections, for which I am immensely grateful.
Interstate travel is a bit marginal at the moment anyway, since the borders close with little warning whenever there's community transmission of covid, so it doesn't really matter that each state uses a different app. Most people are starting close to home or traveling to a single other state for a holiday. We're not all doing constant laps of the continent.
(Do you think I can reapply for citizenship after coffee?)
Re: antivaxxer hijacks QR codes
Sure. I was mainly wondering which territory you had considered a state, and which you had forgotten (probably NT and ACT in that order).Squeak wrote: ↑Sun May 09, 2021 1:59 pmOops. I'll just have in my passport now, shall I?Martin_B wrote: ↑Sun May 09, 2021 7:49 amPsst, Squeak. 6 states and 2 territories.Squeak wrote: ↑Sat May 08, 2021 9:43 am
At least there are only seven states here and none of them are run by nutters. Last year, the states ganged up to effectively force the federal government into zero tolerance of covid infections, for which I am immensely grateful.
Interstate travel is a bit marginal at the moment anyway, since the borders close with little warning whenever there's community transmission of covid, so it doesn't really matter that each state uses a different app. Most people are starting close to home or traveling to a single other state for a holiday. We're not all doing constant laps of the continent.
(Do you think I can reapply for citizenship after coffee?)
And considering Australia also has half a dozen overseas territories (the Antarctic territory, Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, etc) the old adage of 6 states and 2 territories doesn't really stand up!
"My interest is in the future, because I'm going to spend the rest of my life there"
Re: antivaxxer hijacks QR codes
NT is the one that routinely gets elevated in my brain, so presumably I was thinking of that one.Martin_B wrote: ↑Mon May 10, 2021 1:23 am
Sure. I was mainly wondering which territory you had considered a state, and which you had forgotten (probably NT and ACT in that order).
And considering Australia also has half a dozen overseas territories (the Antarctic territory, Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, etc) the old adage of 6 states and 2 territories doesn't really stand up!
There's something funny about the offshore territories though - they're legally very different to NT and ACT, which both get representation in the federal Parliament. The offshore ones might be called territories but I think it's reasonable to ignite them when thinking about the members of the national cabinet.
If I were more actively curious than I am this afternoon, I'd probably go on a wikiwalk to find out why...