Comcast.net Was Hijacked. How Did This Happen?

Hijackers gained access to 200 Comcast.net Domains

It seems more people are equipping themselves with the knowledge and know-how of hacking big networks and temporarily taking over domain names until they are caught. Usually in the end it results in the hacker or hijacker getting caught. That is a exactly what happened when Comcast.net was hijacked a few days ago.

Hijackers were able to hack into Comcast's domain management console at Network Solutions where they gained access to upwards of 200 domain accounts. The hijackers started to change the contact information for the accessed domains changing them to their personal email address and explicit address names such as "Dildo Room" at "69 Dick Tard Lane".

So how did the hijackers do this?

It was discovered that they did this through a flaw found in the Network Solutions domain registrar. The specific flaw has not been disclosed probably to keep others from using the same method for attacking other sources. After the hijackers were caught they were forced to perform the same malicious activities so the real operators of the domains can regain access to them. This is a new-age interrogation process for online crooks. Instead of sitting the alleged criminal in a chair at an empty table in an empty room, they force the hijackers or hackers to sit at a computer and perform the malicious act again. This is done so the good guys are able to find out "how they did it" so they can fix what was broken. Maybe they hit them on the head with a keyboard instead of a gun.

Many other networks have been hijacked on several occasions using all types of methods. Comcast being hijacked is just another instance where the crooks were caught but in some rare cases the hijackers do not get caught and we never find out "how they did it". In this case network engineers and administrators are left with a big mess to cleanup on their own.

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