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Comment by samschooler

4 years ago

Hypothetically it could happen and even if it isn’t true, I feel it adds something to the conversation. Besides, you cited as many sources as they did.

6 comments

samschooler

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bluedays  4 years ago

Sounds way overly complex for a high schooler to pull off. At least the OP sounded legitimate, the details didn't sound over the top.

  • anyfoo  4 years ago

    I think you're underestimating motivated high schoolers.

    When I was in high school I was a huge Linux fan and had a side job as a network administrator for small companies in my town. I don't know if I would have gotten the "random ARP load balancing" idea, but overall it seems well within the knowledge admins of the days had about TCP/IP.

    When I was between 15 and 17 or so, I wrote small HTTP, DNS servers etc. in C++ for fun (straightforward implementations and not better in any way, so in the end just learning exercises), and I definitely had friends who did similar things.

  • AnIdiotOnTheNet  4 years ago

    Not really. Sounds like this was class of '08, and at the time BackTrack would have been readily available and popular enough for a curious highschooler with a bit of computing background to find. As I recall etercap was built in and I wouldn't be at all surprised if there were tutorials for setting up scenarios almost exactly like what is described.

    Even the ARP balancing thing is the kind of too-clever-by-a-half solution a naive youngin' would come up with since it would lead all the nodes thinking each other are the gateway and crushing the network with routing loops.

  • _jal  4 years ago

    Sounds like you hung out with the wrong kids in high school.

    A couple friends and I pulled off some stunts of comparable non-digital complexity. (This was the 80s, schools didn't have networks.) They were more of the logistics and misdirection sort; for instance, having your own version of the printed graduation programs delivered, instead of the boring, official one.