Is this real?

[t0p]

I just watched The Girl Who Played With Fire. There's a scene where Lisbet Salander remotely leaves a message on Blumkvist's computer (he's asleep, I think, but the laptop is on). Lisbet types some code like:


FIND_BLUMKVIST_LAPTOP
CONNECT_BLUMKVIST_LAPTOP


Then a dialogue box appears on Blumkvist's laptop screen saying "Thanks for being my friend" or some such thing.

I figured this must be just come conceit invented by the writer to move the story along. But then I wondered, why not send this message as an email? Lisbet's using a mobile broadband dongle, so she could have sent an email from anywhere without giving away her location.

So: is there software available that can locate a computer so simply, then allow you to write a message direct to its monitor? Or is it all a buncha cows?

[Spice Weasel]

The locating part is Hollywood Science(tm). It's actually quite easy to send a message to someone on your network, but I'm positive they will need to install a program their end.

[AlphaLexman]

In the book(s), [the first book if I remember] it describes how she installed a rouge program on his computer.

[perspectoff]

In the book(s), [the first book if I remember] it describes how she installed a rouge program on his computer.

A rouge program? I'm always worried about those. Chartreuse programs and mauve programs, too.

[koenn]

In the book(s), [the first book if I remember] it describes how she installed a rouge program on his computer.

this.
She installed a backdoor program that mirrors his disk to some server in the Netherlands, and allows remote access to the laptop itself.
She uses it to keep track of his research and articles, and occasionally drops him hints or pieces of info he needs.
Blumkvist is aware of this and starts leaving messages on his computer, hoping she will find and read them.
From there, using this rather than email or so, seems quite logical -- at least in the books.

[perspectoff]

this.
She installed a backdoor program that mirrors his disk to some server in the Netherlands, and allows remote access to the laptop itself.
She uses it to keep track of his research and articles, and occasionally drops him hints or pieces of info he needs.
Blumkvist is aware of this and starts leaving messages on his computer, hoping she will find and read them.
From there, using this rather than email or so, seems quite logical -- at least in the books.

Hey! Same thing the US government wants to do in their new wiretapping bill!

Although I doubt they would ever come rescue me if I were in trouble and leaving hints through the wiretapping backdoor.

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

Someone probably got the idea used in the movie/book from console messages that computer admins can send to users on their networks. You can send a message to users on your network. One command that I've used is "wall". Enter this command in the terminal or Google it for instructions on how it is used.

man wall

[perspectoff]

Someone probably got the idea used in the movie/book from console messages that computer admins can send to users on their networks. You can send a message to users on your network. One command that I've used is "wall". Enter this command in the terminal or Google it for instructions on how it is used.

man wall

Wow, that's a blast from the past! Reminds me of IBM mainframes from the 70's and the ability to send messages to all users in an organization. Funny how it took 30 or 40 extra years for this same technology to be "invented" as Twitter.

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

Wow, that's a blast from the past! Reminds me of IBM mainframes from the 70's and the ability to send messages to all users in an organization. Funny how it took 30 or 40 extra years for this same technology to be "invented" as Twitter.

:lolflag:

Yeah, and we could send text mail messages back then as well.

We were so primitive.

:lolflag:

[ki4jgt]

I just watched The Girl Who Played With Fire. There's a scene where Lisbet Salander remotely leaves a message on Blumkvist's computer (he's asleep, I think, but the laptop is on). Lisbet types some code like:


FIND_BLUMKVIST_LAPTOP
CONNECT_BLUMKVIST_LAPTOP


Then a dialogue box appears on Blumkvist's laptop screen saying "Thanks for being my friend" or some such thing.

I figured this must be just come conceit invented by the writer to move the story along. But then I wondered, why not send this message as an email? Lisbet's using a mobile broadband dongle, so she could have sent an email from anywhere without giving away her location.

So: is there software available that can locate a computer so simply, then allow you to write a message direct to its monitor? Or is it all a buncha cows?

Shouldn't mobile broadband be just as easy to track as anything else. Ex: Cellphone

1. Find the IP (Mobile broadband company)
2. Find the individual user
3. Triangulate the signal

Where as a direct message would be sent directly to the person and you wouldn't have to worry about Google telling the government what you were doing.

[t0p]

Shouldn't mobile broadband be just as easy to track as anything else. Ex: Cellphone

1. Find the IP (Mobile broadband company)
2. Find the individual user
3. Triangulate the signal

Where as a direct message would be sent directly to the person and you wouldn't have to worry about Google telling the government what you were doing.

While tracking an individual through triangulation of the cell masts he/she is using, evading this is trivial: you simply change location.

Anyway, the replies to my question seem to be "yes, this is possible". So I am sated.

[ki4jgt]

While tracking an individual through triangulation of the cell masts he/she is using, evading this is trivial: you simply change location.

Anyway, the replies to my question seem to be "yes, this is possible". So I am sated.

Yes this is true, but you said without giving away her location. It only takes a second to triangulate a signal. Especially since everything is done with computers today and no longer manual labor. I still like her approach better though, even if she was unable to be traced. It's still much cooler and much more awesome to be able to tap directly into someone else's pc :-)

[giddyup306]

Kind of off topic, but Steig Larsson is a genius! The first movie was awesome, but the second movie I got lost half way through because it was in Swedish.

I bought myself the book series for the holidays! :guitar:

[earthpigg]

Blumkvist's computer (he's asleep, I think, but the laptop is on). Lisbet types some code like:


FIND_BLUMKVIST_LAPTOP
CONNECT_BLUMKVIST_LAPTOP


Then a dialogue box appears on Blumkvist's laptop screen saying "Thanks for being my friend" or some such thing.

...

So: is there software available that can locate a computer so simply, then allow you to write a message direct to its monitor? Or is it all a buncha cows?

ddclient, ssh, vnc.

my .bashrc client has aliases that result in me typing 'callmycomp' and 'callmomcomp', but there is no reason i couldn't have it be CONNECT_TO_MY_LAPTOP.

most routers block unsolicited incoming connections, so she would probably have needed to set up some cron job or something that initiates a connection every X seconds.... then, from the routers POV, it's blumk's laptop that is initiating the connection.

[ziekfiguur]

Kind of off topic, but Steig Larsson is a genius!
I'm afraid he isn't, anymore... :(