by D. B. Goodin
Freeman thought the school day would never end. It seemed to drag on forever. The more he thought about the altercation with his mother, the angrier he became.
She has no right to barge in like that. I’m getting the hell off this island the second I graduate. I don’t care if I have to work on a fishing boat, I’m getting off this island.
Freeman booted his computer with his special set of hacking tools. He used a series of color-coded boot drives and didn’t bother labeling them. Black was for encrypted data, blue for gaming, purple for reconnaissance, and red for hacking. He preferred booting from these devices because most dark web hackers knew how to detect the use of virtualized systems. Besides, he needed every ounce of performance he could muster. He logged into the special drop site that contained his special hacking instructions. He opened the message labeled “FreemanRising.”
Welcome, FreeBird,
You will find details on your first assignment. We will need you to deface a public website on the surface web. We have chosen a few suggested sites.
Happy Hunting.
The Shadow Surfers
Freeman wondered how many hacking groups there were on the dark web. The Shadow Surfers seemed new. He looked at the suggested websites. One was for a popular senator from Vermont with a radical stance on a variety of hot-button topics. The second site was for a prepper community. It looked interesting because the man who ran the community looked like an older cartoon army man action figure he’d had when he was young. The third website was a charity for crippled children, the domain page was the target. Each target had several bonus challenges. The political site’s challenge was to dox the senator’s activity on several BDSM and voyeur websites he had frequented. The bonus challenge for the charity was to install a skimming mechanism to steal credit card information. Finally, the prepper website challenge was to dump the entire database for the website.
Freeman didn’t want to get into trouble for hacking a political website, especially during an election year, and he was against hacking any websites that would hurt children.
I guess I’m hacking these preppers.
Freeman checked the local time: 1:48 a.m.
I don’t want to wait for my audition. I need the money now. Better to hack now, I think.
Freeman prepared for the attack by analyzing the website’s referral traffic. It appeared that an article about a former general of the US Army who had started the prepper compound had been featured in a financial magazine.
I bet those clients are loaded.
Freeman found information on applying for one of their bunker packages. He sent an infected PDF attachment to the information email found on the website. When the file was opened, he would have the access he needed to do anything he needed to prove himself to the site admins. He was a worthy adversary, and he wanted to prove it. He was getting ready for bed when he heard a familiar chime.
It’s too early for compromise.
Freeman rushed back to the computer. He realized his toothbrush was still in his mouth. After setting it aside, he checked his secure mailbox. He received a reply from [email protected].
Freeman opened the email.
Thank you for your information request, Dr. Morrison. I reviewed your information and I think you would be a great asset to our community. Each bunker has a separate ventilation system and enough air, water, and supplies to keep your family alive for several years. I have sent you an invitation-only link to our private area where you can view more information. I hope you find it useful, and if you have questions, ask.
Kurtzen, Director of prepper operations
“They took the bait. I can’t believe it! I’m glad the preppers are not very computer-savvy,” Freeman said.
He dumped the database and scheduled the defacement of the website for a couple of hours in the future. He didn’t want Kurtzen to put the breadcrumbs together. The man didn’t understand computers, but it didn’t mean he was stupid.
Anyone who can bilk clients out of millions for a hole in the group knows business.
Four hours later, Freeman’s mother Susan was banging on his door.
“Freeman, you’re going to be late—again!”
“I’m coming, Mother!”
Right after I check on my handiwork.
Freeman logged into his dark web account and held his breath when he opened the message from the Shadow Surfers.
Dear FreemanRising,
We have verified your hack. Your official welcome package and payment are enclosed.
He opened the attachments. There was a PDF titled “Welcome to the Shadow Surfers” along with a link. Freeman clicked the link, added the temporary Digibit wallet, then seconds later, six Digibit coins were deposited into his wallet.
That is a bundle. What is the current price of Digibit?
After a quick check, he was $43,286.69 richer.
The playing field has now changed, FreemanRising has arrived.
Freeman basked in the glory of a win. There was nothing like the feeling he got when receiving a payment for a righteous hack. The feeling of elation was short-lived, however, when his door was thrust opened. His mother stood there with her arms crossed. Before he could respond, she grabbed him by the ear.
“Get dressed—now!”
Dahlia entered her study just before dusk. She loved the way the dark, polished wood reflected the fading sunlight this time of day. She closed the shades so she could see her laptop screen and opened her secure email. One new priority message was in her inbox. The reply address was [email protected]—a known dark web broker that specialized in testing and checking the work of hackers. It was the equivalent of a dark web reference check. The message read:
Hello,
We have performed an extensive analysis of FreemanRising. We have given this hacker a score of 7.6 out of a possible 10.0. Many factors go into our scoring system, and we have rated FreemanRising in the following areas. These scores range from 1 poorest to 10 highest.
Hacking skill: 70%
FreemanRising relies on codes found in hacker toolkits. After analyzing the code from the victim website, we’ve concluded that more than ninety percent of the code was from common malware construction kits found on dark web forums.
Experience: 60%
Difficulty of responsible hacks: 66%
Adversary techniques used in audition: 79%
Social manipulation: 85%
Original coding techniques: 53%
Rating of audition (final exam, including bonuses): 81%
We have determined that FreemanRising is an up-and-coming teenage hacker with potential. The overall BAD’s percentage is 70.57%, or a C minus grade.
Thanks for using the Bads Agent List service for all of your hacker vetting needs. We appreciate your business.
Agent B
Freeman couldn’t believe his luck. After several days of reviewing accounts, he came across the real prize: a seventh circle apprentice. What that meant is Freeman had to get past the tenth and final circle of magic, and then the trials of the Magi would begin.
I don’t think I need to actually complete the trials. I know they take place in Darkow, near the Nexus Circle, which is perfect for my needs. Now I just need to look for some leveling exploit—wait! Do I actually want to risk it? This account is very close to becoming a full Magi. Perhaps I will learn something to defeat JetaGirl, once and for all.
Freeman had no clue how magic worked in the game and was loathed to learn. He discovered several fan message boards. He found how-to articles on achieving Magi status, but they only went to the fifth circle. It seemed like the author was writing it as he leveled.
At this rate the article will be finished next year, and I can’t wait that long.
I need to create my own recruiting post.
Freeman created a post of the most popular game site, which used a technology that allowed users to vote for their favorite posts. He wanted to write a favorable post that would be upvoted enough times to hire
a mentor: a practice discouraged on MachineTalk, the most popular of all Colossal Machine fan sites. He also chose this forum because JetaGirl was most active there.
It would be sweet justice if I could have her train me to prepare for the trials, where I will defeat her.
A few hours later, Freeman had a post he thought would be well received. It read:
Greetings fellow magical denizens,
I’m new to these forums and the Colossal Machine, and I’m in need of advice. I’m a seventh-circle apprentice that seeks help to master the upper echelon of magic. I’ve gathered the necessary reagents, but the spells don’t work for me. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. Perhaps it’s my pronunciations of the incantations? Ideally, I would like a tutor that is available during the evenings. I will pay you for your time.
Best Magical Wishes,
FreeBird2356
It didn’t take long to get a response, but it wasn’t the one he was hoping for. He received a response from someone named “Guanlyn,” who had a master Magi badge on the forum. It read:
I don’t know where you bought your account, but please do not post asking for a mentor when you should already know the quest that explains how to ask for help should have been completed during your third-circle training. Also, no self-respecting Magi or serious magic user would ever keep a default name with numbers at the trailing end. Most people active in this forum use their in-game names. I suggest you go back and set up your profile with your in-game name before posting. You also violated one of the board’s main rules, which is to help others before thyself. Since this is your first post, I will let the infraction go—for now.
Sincerely,
Guanyin
Another user by the name of Thurston, listed as an apprentice of the eighth circle, replied mere minutes of after Guanyin.
Greetings FreeBird2356 and welcome to the magicks that lie underneath this great community. It took me many months to achieve the eighth circle, and I’ve been working toward the ninth for weeks, and I’m not even close to achieving it. Also, if you bothered to read any of the lore books found in the great library in the Timemaker’s Terrace, you would know certain things that you are asking are part of the Magi’s journey and must be learned for thyself. Please do yourself and the community a favor by deleting your FreeBird character and creating a new one with a proper name.
Yours truly,
Thurston
At the end of his post, Thurston included a URL for a website called colossal-machine-magi-names.com.
Freeman flushed as he read these posts.
“Don’t these assholes want money?” Freeman bellowed.
I’ll show these numbnuts. This Magi Forum is my next fun hacking project.
Freeman’s phone chirped. He started looking at the message without thinking about it. The message read:
FreeBird, we are in need of a 1337 hacker. Check your secure box for details.
D
Time to get to work. I’m still coming after you, Magi scum.
After meeting with several potential business owners about what N & J Investigative Services could do for them, Nigel was eager to get back to his pet malware project. The problem nagged at him. It was unlike anything he had ever seen, and his knowledge of emerging threats was solid, as he spent hours every week learning about the newest malware and their attack vectors.
“Do you want to get something to eat?” Jet said.
“No, I think I’d rather eat at home.”
“I’m tired and don’t feel like cooking anything. Besides, we need to visit the grocery store before we can cook anything.”
“Didn’t you just go to the market?”
“Yes, but since both of us live in the same building as our place of business, the food runs out faster.”
“Okay, but let’s stop by Famous Louie’s for takeout.”
“Again? Don’t you ever get sick of that place? I was thinking of a nice dinner at the harbor,” Jet said.
“I have some work I need to do, so takeout is our best option.”
About an hour later, Nigel was back at his computer.
“April missed our gaming session last night,” Jet said.
“I’m sure she’s tired or something.”
“I don’t think that’s it. She was so excited after our last gaming session—she wanted to do it again last night. She wants to take on the Mad Queen herself, I think.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing, but if it makes you feel better, you can call her in the morning.”
Jet thought about it for a moment before going to bed.
“Try not to stay up too late, Nige, we should be at the shop early. So far we’ve been lucky with walk-in business, and hopefully we can keep that trend going,” she said.
Nigel kissed Jet, then resumed his work on the computer.
Several hours later
“There! I got it,” Nigel said to the empty room.
Nigel’s eyes blurred as he downloaded a sample of the malware. It had taken him most of the night, but he had finally found a sample on one of the many dark web repositories. He was determined to unlock the secrets of how this nasty bug worked. He yawned as he looked at the clock on his computer. It was past one in the morning.
I know I should sleep, but I need to find the source of the malware first.
Nigel loaded the malware special sandbox program that allowed him to disassemble it without infecting his computer. He loaded the most common commands, which were also known as strings. This gave him a clue where the malicious code came from. When he didn’t get any results, he examined the network stack, an area he would check to see how the malware communicated once it was on the victim machine. The beaconing subroutines revealed two IP addresses. One of them was from a well-known address belonging to ProgHub. The other was from a residential block belonging to a cable company in Hawaii. Nigel surmised the malware was accessed from the Hawaiian address, then uploaded to the ProgHub site.
Time to do a backtrace.
Nigel traced the IP address to the island of Oahu. After some additional geolocation, he determined the address belonged to a coffee shop called Ohana Joe’s. Nigel checked a website scanner known as ShowALLD for any information on the coffee shop. He found a list of vulnerable services, including one called EspressoJoe. Nigel loaded another exploitation program called Datasploit that would allow him to hack into known vulnerable systems. He fed the data from the service information he found from the web scanner into his exploitation program.
Did the hacker use a coffee machine as a staging point?
A hacking profile was available, so he downloaded it. Moments later he was accessing a data storage area of an espresso machine. The manufacturer had left a reserved amount of memory on the machine for firmware and feature updates. Coffee was not the only item being served from the smart espresso machine; so was Peter’s malware. Before disconnecting, Nigel checked the connection log from the machine and found another IP address that resolved to a home nearby. Nigel ran a custom scan for anything answering from that IP address and found what he was looking for: a port that resolved to a Colossal Machine client from a suite of commercial hacking tools called BelchSuite.
“Gotcha!” Nigel said.
Just before dawn, Nigel slipped into bed, and Jet stirred. He stared at the ceiling for a very long time as he watched the room fill with light.
Chapter 8
Newport, Northeastern United States, October 17th
Nigel sat in his kitchen watching the sunrise. He made a fresh pot of coffee; it wasn’t his favorite blend, but Jet had taken to it since he rescued her from the island. He didn’t like to think about that dark time. When he did, he thought of Natasha, and it made him sad.
She gave her life to save mine and Jet’s. If it hadn’t been for her, Delta would have detonated the malware and doxed the world.
Nigel put aside those feelings for now; he wanted to spend the day fixing up their new business. Jet and Nigel had gotten to know e
ach other well over the past two years. He thought he could spend the rest of his life with her.
“Hey, Nige, how you doing this morning?” Jet asked as she entered the room.
“Huh?” Nigel blurted. “Sorry, I was kind of out of it for a bit.”
“Hope I didn’t keep you up too late?” Jet said, giving Nigel a smile.
“No, even with last night’s activities, I got plenty of sleep.”
Nigel couldn’t help but smile. Being with Jet made him feel lighter, and he couldn’t explain it—even after everything the two had shared, such as the near-death experiences and her kidnapping. He wasn’t sure if he would have felt the same way about their relationship if they hadn’t had those experiences—he was certain of that.
“Have you been to the office yet?” Jet asked.
“No, I was waiting for you. I figured we would have some breakfast first.”
“Hmm, the coffee smells great, you know how to please a girl,” Jet said as she gave him a kiss.
Nigel blushed.
An hour later, Nigel and Jet opened the door to their fledgling investigative services business. Mitch, Jet’s father, had gotten a deal on a year’s lease, and with the Newport economy being the way it had been, the landlord was eager to get a paying tenant.
“We have messages,” Jet said.
“Wow, I didn’t think anyone knew we were open yet.”
Jet played the message.
Hey Nigel, I know it’s been a while, and I know I should have kept in touch this past year. But, with Father passing and all the craziness we all went through, I thought it would be fitting if your first job came from a friend. Oh, I’m in the New York area until the end of the week. I would like to see you before I go back to Edinburgh. Oh, bring Jet too, it’s about time we had a proper introduction. My number is 202-555-3876.
Hope to talk soon.
Mel.
