Cosmo Strikes Again, Taking Over Another Westboro Twitter Account

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/12/cosmo-strikes-again-takes-over-another-westboro-twitter-account/

By Mat Honan
Threat Level
Wired.com
12.19.12

It feels a little bit like hacker Groundhog Day. After hijacking a 
Westboro Baptist Church leader’s Twitter account on Monday, Wired has 
confirmed that the 15-year-old hacker known as Cosmo the God took over 
another account belonging to one of the of the same church members on 
Wednesday, using much the same method.

A source with direct knowledge of the attack who spoke on condition of 
anonymity confirmed to Wired that Cosmo had in fact taken possession of 
Fred Phelps Jr.’s Twitter account. Phelps Jr. is the son of church 
leader Fred Phelps Sr. Cosmo took over the @WBCFredJR Twitter account 
via Phelps’ Hotmail account, which he gained entry to by forwarding the 
password-reset phone number on the Hotmail account to the phone number 
he controlled, according to Wired’s source.

Previously, Cosmo had control of church spokesperson and attorney 
Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper’s @DearShirley Twitter account for about 24 
hours before the account was suspended. During that time, Wired’s source 
also claims that Cosmo remotely recorded gay porn to her DVR, before 
canceling her internet service.

Westboro Baptist Church is notorious for picketing funerals of American 
soldiers killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan. Last week the 
organization apparently announced its intention to protest at the 
funerals of the children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, 
Connecticut. Following the church’s announcement, the hacker collective 
Anonymous and others have targeted WBC members online, especially in 
ways that affect their ability to communicate and operate.

[...]

______________________________________________
Visit the InfoSec News Security Bookstore
Best Selling Security Books and More!
http://www.shopinfosecnews.org