I accidentally logged hundreds of thousands of phone calls to military bases (lina.sh)

Article summary

The author accidentally took over e164.arpa zones for multiple territories due to an expired nameserver, allowing them to potentially intercept phone calls to military bases. They reported the issue to the relevant authorities but were initially met with indifference. It wasn't until they mentioned the involvement of military bases that the issue was taken seriously. The author eventually transferred ownership of the domain to the UK's National Cyber Security Centre.

Main themes

• ENUM and e164.arpa
• DNS hijacking
• Military security
• National defense
• Vulnerability disclosure
• Prosecution of security researchers

What commenters say

• The author's discovery highlights the existence of neglected and potentially vulnerable protocols like ENUM.
• Some commenters believe the author was lucky to avoid prosecution for their actions.
• The involvement of military bases and national defense made the issue more urgent and worthy of attention.
• Others argue that the author's actions were justified and deserving of a reward, rather than punishment.
• The story showcases the potential risks and consequences of outdated and unmonitored infrastructure.
• Some readers appreciate the nostalgic value of the story, reminiscent of old internet and phone phreaking tales.