[Full-disclosure] Scientists Call Diebold Security Flaw 'Worst Ever'

bkfsec bkfsec at sdf.lonestar.org
Fri May 12 20:55:15 BST 2006


lsi wrote:

>[I don't agree with the Professor, when he asserts that the best 
>treatment for this problem is denial.  I suggest that the best 
>treatment for this problem is dissemination, far and wide, so that 
>the broadest range of pressures is brought to bear. - Stu]
>
>http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0511-11.htm
>
>Published on Thursday, May 11, 2006 by Inside Bay Area 
>
>Scientists Call Diebold Security Flaw 'Worst Ever'
>
>Critics say hole created for upgrades could be exploited by someone 
>with nefarious plans
>
>by Ian Hoffman
> 	
>
>Computer scientists say a security hole recently found in Diebold 
>Election Systems' touch-screen voting machines is the "worst ever" in 
>a voting system. 
>
>  
>
And now is the appropriate time to remind people that in 2003 Walden 
O'Dell, CEO of Diebold at the time, said publicly that he was "committed 
to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year."

And what we have is a series of vulnerabilities discovered, the latest 
of which represents a mistake that a first year CSE student probably 
wouldn't make on a project of this magnitude.  Folks, people make 
mistakes... this particular one, though, is such a blatantly stupid 
mistake that it can't possibly have survived a design process without 
being intentional.

There are no coincidences here.  There are only two possibilities: These 
holes are intentional, or Diebold as a company is run as well as the 
administration it supports.

Either way, it's time for the states to dump Diebold as a supplier and 
return to verifiable methods of voting.

             -bkfsec





Full-Disclosure is hosted and sponsored by Secunia.