FBI remotely installs spyware to trace bomb threat [priv]

There have been rumors for years about the FBI remotely installing=20
spyware via e-mail or by exploiting an operating system vulnerability=20
from afar =97 and now there's confirmation.

Last month, the FBI obtained a federal court order to remotely install=20
spyware called CIPAV (Computer and Internet Protocol Address Verifier)=20
to find out who was behind a MySpace account linked to bomb threats sent =

to a high school near Olympia, Wash.

The story is here:
http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9746451-7.html

I've posted the FBI affidavit, which is interesting reading, and a=20
summary of the CIPAV results that the FBI sent back to a magistrate=20
judge, here:
http://politechbot.com/docs/fbi.cipav.sanders.affidavit.071607.pdf
http://politechbot.com/docs/fbi.cipav.sanders.search.warrant.071607.pdf

Here's a Slashdot thread:
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=3D07/07/18/1434229

Wired's article on CIPAV notes that the FBI's 2008 budget request=20
includes $220,000 to "purchase highly specialized equipment and=20
technical tools used for covert (and) overt search and seizure forensic=20
operations... This funding will allow the technology challenges (sic)=20
including bypass, defeat or compromise of computer systems":
http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2007/07/fbi_spyware

All this is quite timely given our discussion yesterday about security=20
firms detecting spyware:
http://www.politechbot.com/2007/07/17/correction-on-security/

-Declan
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