Check your Telephone systems - Hack Issue.

[Benji1]

I know it’s not the usual "Hardware" but I'm sure that comms systems are also the responsibility of us techies!

 

This weekend our phone system was hacked from outside school. The attack centred on our Voice Mail System/Auto Attendant (the auto answer system that answers every call "welcome to... press One for etc)

 

The phone system spent 2 hrs and 5 mins calling international numbers until telewest shut down our lines.

 

We didn't know that the voice mail system had the ability to make calls it's self (the function is enabled out of the box)

 

As the calls were made by our "kit" the call charges are the schools problem.

 

Talking to our comms provider this has happened in other places.

 

I have done a brief web search for a checklist and the only found this link:-

 

http://www.nortel.com/solutions/security/collateral/toll_fraud_1609.pdf

 

We have now had the voice mail system stopped from being able to dial out.

 

Check your systems before it's too late

 

Hope this helps others from recieving large phone bills

[Geoff]

Our phone system isn't this clever, I'm fairly sure it consists of paper cups and string.

[localzuk]

I'm pretty sure this can't happen on our asterisk one. I'm trying to think how it could happen. All international, premium rate and even national premium rate (0870) calls don't have a route out unless specifically allowed out on our lines by me. And we don't use a auto attendant.

[tech_guy]

Ahh, takes me back - phreaking pbx's (not that I ever did it of course).

[GrumbleDook]

Out voicemail system only dials out to specified numbers. At the moment there is only my mobile on the list and nothing else.

 

:-D