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Help Needed, Hacker Problem

Hi,

A woman has presented me with her problem, but I don't know what to tell her. Do any of you know how Cable TV can be hacked into? (names and places altered for confidentiality) Her ex-husband Y* is an ex-computer programer on disability.

Here is her story:

"Tonight I was watching an old movie on Cable TV when the incidents happened.

"I received a message at the bottom of my TV screen that Y* and Z* ere planning a road trip "for you" to Montana, and that it was best to travel long distances in clean cars so as to be more comfortable. Y* is the name of my ex-husband, and Z* is the name of his wife. That popped up from the bottom of my television screen on a black background with an advertisement for Duporh Inn, and it smushed up the picture of the show I was watching in an annoying and noticeable way. I was recently pricing Duporh Inn rooms in Kansas City for my oldest son, A*'s graduation on Goplaces.com. Y*, ex-husband, has often chided me about not keeping my car clean enough.

"I also received a seperate message that talc powder was good to use while spinning wool and mohair, and that was on a Dodge screen that smushed up the picture at the bottom.

"I do spin, and I raise sheep and angora goats - producers of wool and mohair. Yesterday or the day before, I had a conversation with H*, my husband, in our bathroom, of all places, about the relationship between talc powder and ovarian and breast cancer - and the conversation was a rather ...personal one. I ordered make-up a few days ago from a natural ingredients company online - which is how the conversation of talc and asbestos came up to begin with. I also own a Dodge Caravan, and sometimes visit the Dodge website to look at van specs.

"Now, I don't know how these messages got onto the bottom of my cable TV screen while only I happened to be watching TV. How they relate to the computer is also vague, but I'm pretty sure some of the information came from my computer activity. There were more than two messages."

Any help appreciated,

Jon

Reply to
Jon G.
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It's easy to generate a video/audio signal containing whatever you want and inject into coax cable --- if you can physically access the cable near the target TV. ============ "I also received a seperate message that talc powder was good to use while spinning wool and mohair, and that was on a Dodge screen that smushed up the picture at the bottom. ============ Isn't much of a description ("smushed"?). Was there audio? Was it like a windows message box? Was it another image interlaced with the original? How many other viewers received it? The first thing I would do is get a cheap video camera or vcr and tape it because the first thing a lot of people are going to think is that she's insane ---is she? It will also be much easier to persuade others that there is something worth investigating if there is video evidence of it. If there's a cheap wfm audio bug in the bathroom, you'll hear it with an FM radio (even a cheap one will work for part of the spectra). Slowly tune around the dial while the bathroom door is closed, you're outside, and the water in the bathroom is running so you can hear it. To scan for a signal over more than the FM band (88 - 102 mhz) try a scanner. Of course, a sophisticated device will easily escape this detection method, but you'd be surprised at how unsophisticated so many of these stalker types are.

Reply to
tom

Yes have her set up a VCR on record continiously. If she can produce a tape with a suspect message you could ask the cable co to investigate. Don't give them the only tape make a copy.

Check if her ex still has a key to the house or did she move. Consider setting up a video camera on a motion detector - if her ex is getting in while she is out you might catch him on tape.

Scan her computer for spyware and key loggers. Microsoft have a new program for this. It's on beta release but it seems to work well and it's stable. Check for a hardware key logger in the cable from her keyboard to the PC.

Reply to
CWatters

When I fall asleep in front of the TV, I dream, too.

-- Then there's duct tape ... (Garrison Keillor)

Reply to
Fred Abse

So that's what you use the duct tape for! ;)

--
?

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

Getting text on a TV while viewing cable would be a neat trick but one I have never heard of. That part of the story sounds dubious. Could someone be controlling it from a remote from outside a window.

However, if snippets of private conversations and information related to interet activity are coming up, It does sound like some kind of stalking. Tell your friend to seed the conversations with false information and see if it comes back later. this bait may reviel the source. It is not problem for the determined person to hack a PC or bug a house.

It may also be a coincidence along with some digital interference with the cable signal. Does the TV have picture in picture.

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AutoTracer

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