Web Site Lets Anyone Create Fake Boarding Passes

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

This grad student would be an ex grad student if I were there or at  
least a very very yelled at one. To do what was done is not research  
-- in fact it is not  hard and everyone knows the weakness so " just  
pointing it out " is no excuse.

Then again maybe it is the Universities job to talk about ethics

Dave

Begin forwarded message:

From: EEkid () aol com
Date: October 28, 2006 3:08:20 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Web Site Lets Anyone Create Fake Boarding Passes

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/web-site-lets-anyone-create-fake/ 
20061027231809990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001



Web Site Lets Anyone Create Fake Boarding Passes
Student Says Site's Meant to Show Loopholes, Feds Don't See It That Way

By JONATHAN SILVERSTEIN, ABCNews.com

(Oct. 28) - A 24-year-old computer security student working on his  
doctorate at Indiana University Bloomington has created a Web site  
that allows anyone with an Internet connection and a printer to  
create and print fake boarding passes for Northwest Airlines flights.

The passes look virtually identical to the ones printed from the  
airline's site, and are intended to get you past security -- but not  
onto an airplane.

By entering your name and plugging in information about the flight --  
flight number, gate, seat number, departing city, destination,  
departure, and arrival times and class -- the site generates a  
boarding pass the program's creator says will get you past security  
checkpoints, even without ID.

Christopher Soghoian, creator of "The Northwest Airlines Boarding  
Pass Generator," knew he would be opening up a can of worms by  
writing the program and creating the site, but says it's the only way  
to show people how deeply flawed airport and airline security are.
  <snip>

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