Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by janrinok on Friday August 16 2019, @05:08PM   Printer-friendly
from the null-not- dept.

Forbes reports that a security researcher in California registered the vanity plate "NULL," partly for fun and partly in the hope that this spoofed the system into returning errors whenever his plate was seen.

Instead he received more than $12,000 in fines, as his plate became a dumping ground for erroneous data records.

Every single speeding ticket for which no valid license plate could be found was assigned to his car. The Los Angeles police department eventually scrapped the tickets but advised the man to change his plates, or the same problem would continue to occur. In response, the man has apparently said: "No, I didn't do anything wrong," insisting to his Def Con audience that, whatever happens, "I won't pay those tickets."

Also covered in the Guardian.
 


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 4, Informative) by legont on Friday August 16 2019, @08:24PM (1 child)

    by legont (4179) on Friday August 16 2019, @08:24PM (#881260)

    Here is a better summary of what have happened https://www.wired.com/story/null-license-plate-landed-one-hacker-ticket-hell/?verso=true [wired.com]

    First of all, the first ticket he got he paid figuring it is easier to pay than to fight one's innocence. That's what all the lawyers usually prescribe as well. This decision unleashed the hell as the system now associated his admitting of a guilt with NULL.

    Second, mentioned in the article, most of the software nowadays (and I am pushed over there at the office) is built on the principle of The ‘minimum viable product’ concept. The errors here are by design.

    Third, possibly recognizing it, DMV is enforcing at least some of the tickets he got. They probably recognize that he "deserved" it and likely violate the rules all the time.

    Technosphere is building it's strength.

    --
    "Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +2  
       Interesting=1, Informative=1, Total=2
    Extra 'Informative' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   4  
  • (Score: 4, Informative) by coolgopher on Saturday August 17 2019, @03:00AM

    by coolgopher (1157) on Saturday August 17 2019, @03:00AM (#881408)

    Clearly he should've used DEVNULL if he wanted to avoid paying fines ;)

    (Or if there are any Windows users reading SN, plain ol' NUL)