The Newbies Guide to Hacking and Phreaking
By: Terminal Killah
v1.0 (8/6/97)
WWW: http://www.sinister6.com      E-Mail: killerb@nyct.net

*This document was made for educational purposes only, so if you use it and get caught for* *some stupid reason, its your own fault.*

Note: This file will not make you a hacker.  This is only a reference!

Dedication

to Genocide, Bernz, Genocide2600, Revelation, Axis Security, Reflux, Point9, Perhillion, Pheesh, the old ECP, Silicon Toad, Global-KoS, Banshee, SIN, NYAngel, X-Treme, L0pht, CDC, LOD Communications, Phiber Optik, Vesa, 2600, my friends in #hackphreak at the undernet, |\|uclear, Ksector, PentiumRu, MicroFric, Kode9, the Enygma, the Happy Hackers, LordSomer, Phucked Agent 04 (cuz you got da bomb name), Logik Bomb and his crew, my friends in Staten Island (Shaolin), the Chunk, Narc1000 and most of all, my bro.

Chapters

The Introduction

The Understandment
1.1  What is hacking?
1.2  Why do we hack?
1.3  What are the most important things about a hacker?

The Introduction into the hacking world
2.1  Finding a mentor
2.2  Friends
2.3  Hacking groups
2.4  IRC

The start of your hacking experience
3.1  Reading text
3.2  Telnet
3.3  Phreaking
3.4  UNIX
3.5  Social Engineering
3.6  Programming
3.7  Cracking
3.8  Hacker Cons
3.9  Trial -n- Error

Closing

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Introduction

    This guide is made only for educational purposes people.  If you get busted because of this text file, hey, its yer fault.  Not mine.  I made this to expand the minds of those that are clueless.  For the people on AOL that wanna get out of the lame AOL soil, for the people who are clueless in the hacking world, for those who want to expand their minds, for those who care about exploring!  Do me a favor since I wrote this all for you people, don't abuse or alter this text please!

Terminal Killah


So, we begin with the Newbies Guide to Hacking and Phreaking.................


Chapter 1- The Understandment


1.1  What is hacking?

    Hacking is not going into a system and destroying files and just fucking up some guys computer up.  Hacking is going into AOL chat rooms and TOS'ing some kids ass.  Hacking is not going into the IRC advertising and showing off what script or bot yer using.  Hacking is not emailbombing, using programs, winnuking someone, using ICMP attacks on someone, or saying that you are a hacker.  Hacking is intruding a system and exploring the host's computer and getting whatever information you need and getting yourself out and clearing your trails without getting yourself busted.  It's all for knowledge.  "Knowledge is freedom, freedom is knowledge."

1.2  Why do we hack?

    Why do we hack?  We all have different reasons.  My reason is to explore, find the secrets of the government, show the host of a server their problems and to help newbies out as best as I can.  People can hack because they want to do the same thing as I want to do, or to just show off their "skillz", or to get popular, or to gain friends, or even to get a girlfriend (what a pathetic reason.).  Anyways, we all hack for different reasons.  That's that.

1.3  What are the most important things about a hacker?

    The most important things about a hacker?  We all have different opinions but for a newbie, don't take shit from other people.  That's my advice.  If some idiot or other hacker comes up to you and starts fuckin around with you, just ignore them.  If you want, just use an ICMP attack on them so that their Winbloze95 system freezes up.  However, I'd just keep out of it and ignore them.  If you want to be a hacker, the main thing is to read.  Read all the motherfuckin text files that you can get your hands on!  Here are some sites:

Silicon Toad and the Infinity Void:                 http://www.silitoad.org
the Havoc Technical Journal:                        http://www.thtj.com/ 
Kawntam Pozeetron's Website:                     http://www.dodgenet.com/~kwantam/hackfile.htm

There are more but I'll list them at the bottom. Enough of this section.  Go out there and read!

Also, get a shell if yer a newbie.  Get a fuckin UNIX shell.  Go do a websearch on your local ISP and buy one.  Don't try to hack one because you'll be stupid enough to get caught trying to break in.  heh.  



Chapter 2 - The Introduction into the hacking world

2.1  Finding a Mentor

    I wouldn't exactly find a mentor.  I don't like being that type of hacker.  But that's optional.  If you find a mentor, his responsibility is to help you out in as many ways that he can.  However, don't expect that you'll become a hacker faster if you have a mentor.  There is no shortcut or faster way of becoming a hacker.  Sooner or later, you'll have to do some shit on your own.  To find a mentor, I would go onto some hacking digests or e-zines and write a request for a mentor, or teacher, or go on the web looking for someone.  If you go to a "really cool" website, don't just ask!  Get to know some people and find out how much of a hacker they are.  

2.2  Friends

    Friends in the hacking world are the most important thing that I can think of.  Friends support you, friends care about you, friends help you with your hacking problems, friends get in touch with you, and most of all, friends don't decieve or fool around with you.  The first thing you should do is go and find some friends.  Check some H/P/C sites out and get to know them.  Go to your local 2600 conference and meet some friends.  Friends are the key.  I don't think anything else is more important.  Without friends, you'll get no where.  Believe me.

2.3  Hacking groups

    I dunno about you, but I would join a hacking group.  One that you know is stable and that have reliable and good friends.  Ask around, search the web.  If you don't find any, make one.  Go to your local 2600 conference and get some friends, then make a group.  If that doesn't work, email me and I'll help you out.  Again, there is no shortcut to hacking so don't expect to become a hacker faster.  The point of hacking groups is to have a bunch of friends working together, to protect each other, to gain respect from each other and to share knowledge.

2.4  IRC (Internet Relay Chat)

    Ahhh, the IRC.  The IRC is a tool to help you grow your knowledge.  I used to go to #hackphreak on the Undernet till I got booted by NetJammr.  Revelation introduced me to this channel.  Anyways, there are a lot of hacking channels on the IRC to help you out.  #hack, #hacking, #hackers, #2600, etc.  Get an IRC client first.  If you have Winbloze95, get mIRC.  If you have Linux, get BitchX, or ircii.  I don't really like the IRC too much because most of the people there are assholes and jerks, but hopefully you can find some reliable and cool guy to help you out.  Don't beg for ops, don't act like a jerk, just be cool and act nice and you'll get your reward.

Chapter 3 - The start of your hacking experience

3.1  Reading text

    Ok, for you kids out there reading this, the best way to become a hacker is to read text files like this.  Text files are the ultimate key to becoming a hacker, I think.  Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think that you can become a hacker without reading some reading material that's related to hacking.  I don't believe in "teaching" hacking because that just means yer too lazy and complacent to do shit yourself.  Instead, yer not working as hard as the person who's teaching the shit to you (whatever that means.)  I don't read a lot so maybe that's why I'm not such a great hacker but I'm telling you, whenever I do read something, I know %100 more than what I knew before.  Reading is such a great thing to newbies.  Just read, read and read some more.  Then when yer done with the text, read it again and again.  Yer never the perfect hacker.  There's always new things to be explored and to be unlocked.

3.2  Telnet

    Telnet is an application that lets you to communicate and connect to another server such as: nyct.net.  Telnet is one of the most useful things that I can think of.  It lets you go from one place to another.  A lot of people hack using telnet.  I hack using telnet most of the time.  When you telnet, you go into other O/S's such as, UNIX, Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, VAX/VMS, etc.  Also, there are various ports that let you connect to different parts of the server such as SMTP (sendmail (simple mail transfer protocol) port for UNIX.  Usually port: 25)  Port 23 connects you to the login prompt.  There are numberous ports in one system.  One way to get a track into a port is to get a port scanner.  From then, you can get into an open port, run an exploit, and get your way through.  I recommend CRT for a telnet program for those newbies that run Windows95.

3.3  Phreaking

    Phreaking is a cool thing.  For those that don't know what it is, its just fondling with the phone system.  I don't know much about it but I can tell you about some of the boxes that are used such as the Red Box, the Green Box, Black Box, etc.  Many boxes such as the Blue Box do not work anymore.  The Red Box generates these 5 cent, 10 cent, and 25 cent tones.  What you do, is go to a local payphone (one that does'nt have AT&T or Nynex on it) and take the phone off the hook and just simply press the cent tones.  You make free phone calls this way.  Also, you can make a profit outta this too!  What you can do, is ask the operator to make a long distance phone call for you, then just put in the tones for the amount needed, then hang up after the call is completed.  Then call the operator back and say that it did'nt go through and that you want your money back.   You will be sent a check or cash to your home the next couple of days.  I don't know if this really works or not because I almost got busted by a cop and ran away.  For a newbie, the Red Box is "the" box to start off, I think because its so easy to use.  

    To make a red box, simply get a tone dialer at Radio Shack, then buy a crystal from someone at your local 2600 displayed: 6.50 or 6.55536.  I prefer the 6.50.  Correct me if I'm wrong but different areas in the country need different crystals to work out the Red Box. I will get into other boxes in the next version but for now, use the Red Box.

3.4  UNIX

    UNIX is my amigo (friend for all of you dumbasses out there!)  I have a distribution of UNIX that is called Linux, made by Linus Traverold.  There are other distributions such as, IRIX, BSD, XENIX, HP/UX, DG/UX (Digital Unix), etc.  I can go on forever.  I really recommend getting a Linux Distribution such as Redhat, or Slackware.  Slackware would be my choice.  Get the latest version with the latest Kernel, then get a book called: "Linux in a Nutshell."  It tells you different commands for Linux.  Also, make sure you don't have a fuckin winmodem for Linux because if you do, yer stuck!  I'm really recommending you to get Linux if you want to get into UNIX hacking.  Then when you mastered Linux, get into BSD or something else.

3.5  Social Engineering

    Ahhhhh, Social Engineering.  I'm just too young to do it, but I love it.  Social Engineering is when you con someone to giving you their login and password for a system.  A good example of this is in the fake ass movie, "Hackers."  In the beginning, Dade Murphy calls up a TV station worker who is stupid enough to give the TV station server number out.  Dade Murphy cons his way to getting it using his fast thinking abilities.  Social Engineering can be done in many different ways such as, using the camera trick, over the phone, using email, fax, etc.  The camera trick was taught to me by my close friend/mentor, Bernz.  I learned that if you go to local companies and go to a secretary, you can easily get a login/password by saying that you want to record some info on the company.  She'll probably give you a tour or something, I dunno, for a little while.  Then ask her if you can see the computer and stuff.  From what I heard, secretaries love to show off their "skillz" on computers, but they don't know a fuckin thing about who's stealin who's logins/passwords.  That's when you roll the tape on record and get all the information you need to login.  For more on Social Engineering, go view Bernz's Social Engineering FAQ.

3.6  Programming

    Programming is important to your hacking career.  You cannot become a hacker without learning how to code.  When you code, you make the program do what you want it to do, you tell it what to do and how you want to do it.  You can make various programs such as crackers, exploits, scripts, etc.  Programming is very, very important.  If you don't know any programming languages, go buy a book on C, C++, or Perl.  Learn any program language but I recommend those any of those 3.  After you have learned Linux or UNIX, make your programs, test them and BANG, you made your first program.  

3.7  Cracking

    Sometimes Social Engineering does'nt always work, so there's always another option.  Cracking.  On Linux or UNIX systems rather, you can get the .passwd file and crack it.  There are many methods of cracking.  A good text/book on this is Orc's Guide to Cracking.  However, I will explain some methods of cracking.  One way of cracking is to get the .passwd file from the server, then using a cracking program, but most of the time, its shadowed.  That's why I prefer Social Engineering but then again, its less trouble.  

    Another way is to use a packet sniffer. When you get linux, get linsniff.c, then compile it and run it.  It works great.  Packet Sniffers take a certain amount of packets that come from the server so the password of some user can come through and get caught by the person who's sniffing it.  A way to prevent this from happening to you is to get SSH (Secure Shell.)

    I don't know much about cracking so get Orc's Guide to Cracking or get the GTMHH (Guide to Mostly Harmless Hacking) on cracking.  I learned how to crack mostly through that specific file.  You can get it from Silicon Toads site (http://www.silitoad.org) or TACD (http://www.tacd.org.)  

3.8  Hacker Cons

    Hacker Conventions are great.  I attending Beyond Hope in NYC on August 8th,9th, and 10th.  I learned so much from that convention.  It mostly consisted of the hackers on the east coast but hackers worldwide came to unite in this one convention.  It was the biggest gathering of hackers in history!  Another convention is Defcon which is in the west coast area in Las Vegas.  I never been to that one so I don't know how good it is but I'm sure it's good enough.  Beyond Hope was just great though.  Seriously, if you want to be a hacker, go attend one of the cons.  Defcon takes place yearly and Hope will hopefully take place some time soon.  

3.9  Trial -n- Error

    Trial -n- Error is the way of the hacker.  This is how hackers do it.  They try one thing, then try another.  If you try one thing, its not always certain to work out.  Don't get fustrated if you screw up once because hey, it's hard to hack.  No one ever said it was easy!  Hacking is really a tool.  We're vandalists.  We make marks on peoples lives.  We do illegal things because we explore.  Trial -n- Error is the only way you can succeed in hacking.  That's the truth!  It's not an opinion!  Maybe you'll hack your server on the first try but it'll probably be luck.  You can't always do it on the first try.  Its trial -n- error.  Do one thing, and if it does'nt work, hell try another.

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Closing

    Well, that's about it for this version.  If you have any comments or questions, please email: killerb@nyct.net  I'll try to help you as best as I can.  If you think my grammar sucks, deal with it because I hate english vocab. and all that shit!  When you email me, try to be to the point.  Be as specific as you can.  Until next time, take it easy people.

Terminal Killah
email: killerb@nyct.net
www: http://www.sinister6.com  *coming soon*

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Sinister Six Communications '97.  Copyright 1997.  All Rights Reserved.