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Epilepsy Site Posts Trigger Migraines

AP
Posted: 2008-05-07 22:36:19
Filed Under: Tech News
SAN FRANCISCO (May 7) - Computer attacks typically do not inflict physical pain on their victims.

Pokemon scene
Getty Images

A 1997 Pokemon cartoon sickened hundreds of Japanese children.


But in a rare example of an attack apparently motivated by malice rather than money, hackers recently bombarded the Epilepsy Foundation's Web site with hundreds of pictures and links to pages with rapidly flashing images.

The breach triggered severe migraines and near-seizure reactions in some site visitors who viewed the images. People with photosensitive epilepsy can get seizures when they're exposed to flickering images, a response also caused by some video games and cartoons.

The attack happened when hackers exploited a security hole in the foundation's publishing software that allowed them to quickly make numerous posts and overwhelm the site's support forums.

Within the hackers' posts were small flashing pictures and links - masquerading as helpful - to pages that exploded with kaleidoscopic images pulsating with different colors.

"They were out to create seizures," said Ken Lowenberg, senior director of Web and print publishing for the foundation, which is based in Landover, Md.

He said legitimate users are no longer able to post animated images to the support forum or create direct links to other sites, and it is now moderated around the clock. He said the FBI is investigating the breach.

Security experts said the attack highlights the dangers of Web sites giving visitors great freedom to post content to different parts of the site.

In another recent attack, hackers exploited a simple coding vulnerability in Sen. Barack Obama's Web site to redirect users visiting the community blogs section to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's official campaign site.

The hackers who infiltrated the Epilepsy Foundation's site did not appear to care about profit. The harmful pages did not appear to try to push down code that would allow the hacker to gain control of the victims' computers, for instance.

"I count this in the same category of teenagers who think it's funny to put a cat in a bag and throw it over a clothesline - they don't realize how cruel it is," said Paul Ferguson, a security researcher at antivirus software maker Trend Micro Inc. "It was an opportunity waiting to happen for some mean-spirited kid."

In a similar attack this year, a piece of malicious code was released that disabled software that reads text aloud from a computer screen for blind and visually impaired people. That attack appeared to have been designed to cripple the computers of people using illegal copies of the software, researchers said.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-05-07 21:40:40
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658 comments

Champ 68193 02:11:11 AM May 10 2008

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TJhit1uhit12--Sorry buddy, she swallowed her tongue and would have suffocated if I had not stuck my fingers in there and pulled it out. It happened and I will swear to it on a stack of Bibles, in front of God himself. She was turning blue and everyone was in a panic when I put her head on my lap and pried that tongue forward. Oh yeah--she bit me down to the bone...

Psychoticnewbie 10:46:22 PM May 09 2008

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I've had Epilepsy since I was like 6 months old. It's controlled by medicine..so far, so good. I've had the Vagal Nerve Stimulator surgery because for awhile nothing wsa working. It lightened my seizures from Grand Mals to Petit Mals (thank god) and it seems the postictal stage (the haze you go through after the seizure) goes quicker.

Psychoticnewbie 10:40:11 PM May 09 2008

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Petalpusherflwrs 12:28:04 PM May 08 2008

Report This! What do you get when you put an epileptic in a field of lettuce? Answer: A tossed salad!
***************************8
that was so retarded it's funny..

JROURKE78924 09:12:45 PM May 09 2008

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And petalpusheryou either never had a GRAN MAL seizure --the worse type or you're a liar as it's nothing to laugh abot and I see no humor in it I had a seizure during an EEG when I was 11 years old and it showed I had a GRAN MAL SEIZURE.,which is terrifying.,

JROURKE78924 08:54:49 PM May 09 2008

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Maybe those people who did this ought to suffer the terror of seizures and then see how funny they thinkit is ---IT ISN't and I hope and pray the FBI finds out who did it andthey get prosecuted .

mishducki 03:35:20 PM May 09 2008

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this is ridiculous. ignorant, idiotic, uneducated idiots live in this country. they should suffer like they caused. in jail

Omanvan1 03:27:55 PM May 09 2008

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Why would anyone think that funny. Ignorance is just to nice here. Cruel will cut it.

HEBEGE 02:46:32 PM May 09 2008

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folks who think this funny have no clue the suffering this could cause folks.

PimpinPengin92 03:31:44 AM May 09 2008

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Yea I actually sometimes "lurk" 4chan and 7chan even though I take no part in any "raids" such as this one. This was definitely eBaumsworld (whom even 4chan and everyone else on the internet hates with extreme distaste and loathing) and their stupid forum user who try too hard to be the next internet idols. Well, I hate them as well, and so would someone please just direct their attention to those guys so we don't have to prolong this investigation?

PS:http://www.ebaumsworld.com-and I do warn anyone about going to this site as it always has some sort of virus or spyware on it.

TJB Mom2ALL 11:41:13 PM May 08 2008

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What is wrong with you people who are getting a laugh out of this? Are you going to think it is funny some day if you end up with cancer or a heart attack? And what if you or one of your loved ones end up with epilepsy because it can happen to anyone at anytime. Will you be laughing then??????? I feel sorry for all of you who get your pleasure on the pain of others. I will praying that God will soften your hearts and make you realize how wrong your actions are.

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