Computer security researcher Barnaby Jack jokes that he has resorted to hiding cash under his bed since figuring out how to crack automated teller machines remotely using the Internet.
The New Zealand native on Saturday demonstrated his “ATM jackpotting” discovery for an overflow crowd of hackers during a presentation at the infamous DefCon gathering in Las Vegas.
“You don’t have to go to the ATM at all,” Jack told AFP after briefing fellow software savants. “You can do it from the comfort of your own bedroom.”
Jack proved his findings using two kinds of ATMs typically found in corner stores, bars or other “stand-alone” venues in the United States but said the flaw likely exists in machines at banks.
Banks use “remote management” software to monitor and control their ATMs, and Jack used a weakness in that kind of code to take control of machines by way of the Internet.
