Hacker Factor

I'm Neal Krawetz, a computer security specialist and forensic researcher. I run FotoForensics, Hintfo, and RootAbout. Sleep is not necessary.

Website: https://hackerfactor.com/?social=noc.social
Blog: https://hackerfactor.com/blog/
FotoForensics: https://fotoforensics.com/
Hintfo: https://hintfo.com/

Public Key

npub1juzxwk54l455a96gh2ujty02wt3urjhht4q2uwzq8ctjvt26e88q7sse9n

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsfwpr8t22l662wjayt4wf9j8489c7petm46s9w8pqru9ex94dvnnspz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0ds8l4uzk

Publishing to

relay.primal.net

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1juzxwk54l455a96gh2ujty02wt3urjhht4q2uwzq8ctjvt26e88q7sse9n

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Last Notes

2026-04-03 21:18:03 CEST

This weekend, I'm going to take all of my servers down, one at a time. The reason? All of them have small Cr2032 batteries. These typically last 8-10 years. My servers have been running for 11 years, so... time to change the batteries!

2026-02-24 21:38:17 CET

The Hacker Factor Blog: To Be Young Again
https://hackerfactor.com/blog/index.php?/archives/1089-To-Be-Young-Again.html
Discord’s new "teen-by-default" policy is a masterclass in how fragile automated age checks really are.

2026-02-11 17:26:43 CET

Microsoft Outlook recently changed their spam filter / blocker. (Their SNDS and JMRP system.) What's new and improved?
1. I can no longer authenticate my sending network range.
2. A solid 50% of my test emails get delivered. The other 50% are silently dropped. (All test emails take the same sending path and outgoing mail logs show successful delivery to Microsoft.)
3. There is no longer an email address for contacting Microsoft about delivery problems. (If there is, I can't find it.)

2026-02-04 02:43:06 CET

The Hacker Factor Blog: PTSD, DNS, and Marriage Counseling
https://hackerfactor.com/blog/index.php?/archives/1087-PTSD,-DNS,-and-Marriage-Counseling.html
Saving marriages, one domain name at a time.

2026-01-30 19:11:04 CET

New song by Brain Dead Frogs:
This Democracy
https://braindeadfrogs.com/album.php?album=09&play=4

2025-12-31 18:54:28 CET

I heard that it was good luck to eat round foods on New Years Eve.
https://noc.social/system/media_attachments/files/115/815/458/818/318/892/original/6508df2dae4e8aa0.jpeg

2025-12-26 05:18:15 CET

Big (final) upgrade step is underway. (Now to sit back, watch TV, and not panic while the entire process runs from an automated script.)

2025-11-13 17:17:51 CET

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I suspect that the first support monkey did a very rudimentary and superficial check, saw nothing, and said "Everything is fine."
My reply got the problem redirected to the next support tier, who saw a problem. (And I'm sure the problem doesn't impact just me.)

2025-10-27 18:06:21 CET

My neighbor informed me that our local racoon is not a racoon. It's a bobcat! And it likes hunting the local rabbit population.
Woo hoo! Go bobcat!

2025-10-07 00:52:05 CEST

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(I'm assuming you have light skin tone.) Give yourself a light scratch on the inner forearm so you see a pink line. Then see if the camera can capture it.

2025-10-06 15:45:53 CEST

The Hacker Factor Blog: Photographic Revision vs Reality
https://hackerfactor.com/blog/index.php?/archives/1079-Photographic-Revision-vs-Reality.html
The smarter our cameras get, the less we can trust their photos. With beauty filters and AI correction baked in, our devices are quietly revising reality by default.

2025-09-05 18:50:42 CEST

The Hacker Factor Blog: Google Pixel 10 and Massive C2PA Failures
https://hackerfactor.com/blog/index.php?/archives/1077-Google-Pixel-10-and-Massive-C2PA-Failures.html
C2PA already has flaws, but the Pixel 10’s implementation magnifies them, making fraud easier than ever.

2025-09-01 23:52:02 CEST

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My two panels are connected in series (positive to negative) and the last two wires go into a 1/2" hole into the building. I used a silicon grommet to cover the hole, and then tons of caulking to make it weatherproof.
Also, you'll need to connect the frames with a grounding wire and send that to earth ground. (My ground doesn't even come inside the building; it just goes straight into the dirt.) Wire + grounding post are a few bucks from Home Depot.

2025-09-01 23:42:55 CEST

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For the awning, the small legs go at the top and the long legs go at the bottom. I installed them horizontally.
And this really has been a fun projects!

2025-09-01 23:41:33 CEST

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I went with simple leg posts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IYWBOLA. They are really well made. Installation was relatively easy because I cheated: I have a friend who builds homes and was eager to help install this. (He wanted to understand how it worked.) Things go quickly when you have a professional carpenter helping and lots of ladders.

2025-09-01 17:53:30 CEST

The Hacker Factor Blog: Solar Project Update
https://hackerfactor.com/blog/index.php?/archives/1076-Solar-Project-Update.html
Of everything that could go wrong, I never expected the inverter to be the biggest problem.

2025-07-28 23:08:10 CEST

Woo hoo! Version 3 of my solar controller works! (v1 had minimal functionality. v2 required an external watchdog script to watch for problems. v3 has a built-in watchdog.)

2025-07-21 22:05:14 CEST

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C2PA has been relaxing their claims. As noted in the report, "It merely confirms that a specific signer stands behind the claims".
C2PA is very similar to SEAL (https://github.com/hackerfactor/SEAL).
SEAL is a decentralized and free notary. The signatures are verifiable and linked to the signer.
C2PA is a centralized, fee-based endorser (term from Shawn Masters). As in political ads "I endorse this ad." The signature names the signer, but does not link back to the signer for validation.

2025-07-14 17:36:11 CEST

Ugh. Some idiot is using a botnet to request every image from a CDN. I now have an automated detection that is banning every node from that botnet.

2025-07-11 16:09:02 CEST

"What's on your mind?" There's an "OpenBSD". Does that mean there's also a "ClosedBSD"?

2025-06-15 21:15:03 CEST

I'm going to chalk this up as "street signs that I don't understand." Is that a hula hoop?
https://noc.social/system/media_attachments/files/114/688/972/576/293/604/original/a1fa7622bd76b01b.jpeg

2025-05-04 02:23:20 CEST

The Hacker Factor Blog: Hello my perverted friend https://hackerfactor.com/blog/index.php?/archives/1066-Hello-my-perverted-friend.html

2025-05-02 16:57:10 CEST

Really glad I stocked up on M5StampS3 embedded CPUs for IoT devices. The vendor has a big banner about new tariffs: https://m5stack.com/. I can't justify paying $75 extra for a $7.50 item.

2025-05-02 05:19:24 CEST

Yesterday a bunch of items in my Amazon "wish list" increased in price. (The biggest was $21 increased to $44.) Today? Many of the items are "Currently unavailable."

2025-04-30 14:30:18 CEST

Wow. I have a list of items at Amazon in my "wish list". Not that I plan to buy them, but I want to watch how prices change. Some of the items just increased in price by nearly 50%. And some of the "guaranteed delivery" dates increased to a month.

2025-04-01 21:03:09 CEST

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Oh! I didn't even think about the Launchpad!
Just tried it on another Mac here. Nope. I wonder if it varies by MacOS version?

2025-04-01 15:22:54 CEST

The Hacker Factor Blog: The Donut Paradox https://hackerfactor.com/blog/index.php?/archives/1063-The-Donut-Paradox.html

2025-03-25 02:32:28 CET

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More info: The Epson scanner uses LaserSoft Imaging's "SilverFast" software and the email address was used to register with LaserSoft Imaging for use with an Epson scanner. (I don't even have the scanner anymore.)

2025-03-25 02:28:25 CET

A unique email address that I only used one time with Epson back in 2022 just received spam. Looks like Epson was recently compromised.

2025-03-21 18:19:11 CET

The Hacker Factor Blog: PTSD and Power Users https://hackerfactor.com/blog/index.php?/archives/1062-PTSD-and-Power-Users.html

2025-03-07 18:18:24 CET

I absolutely enjoy recording calls with telemarketers. This time: "Hello?"
https://audio.hackerfactor.com/2025/20250307_100940-hello.mp3

2025-02-22 23:47:20 CET

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The purpose of a SYN scan is to identify any services running on the server. If the server responds, then it queues up even more scans as they try to compromise the system.

2025-02-22 14:36:17 CET

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The ASN that someone (uncreatively) named "Skynet" constantly does TCP SYN scans (all ports, all IPs). But they seriously picked up volume in the last 24 hours.

2025-02-22 14:06:31 CET

Not sure what's going on, but my server (all of them, even the honeypots) are seeing a huge increase in scans from AS214295 (Skynet Network Ltd; a known-hostile scanner) and IPs from China.

2025-02-09 21:44:39 CET

The Hacker Factor Blog: PDF Problems as FotoForensics Turns 13 https://hackerfactor.com/blog/index.php?/archives/1059-PDF-Problems-as-FotoForensics-Turns-13.html

2025-01-25 16:27:45 CET

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ROFL! Wonderful!
Does the Freddie Kruger effect still apply?

2025-01-25 01:04:32 CET

Today I learned about the Dunning-Kruger effect. (People overestimate their capabilities. Unless they are really good, then they underestimate.)
This is NOT the same as the Freddy Kruger effect. (Don't fall asleep at work.)

2024-12-11 00:40:02 CET

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Yeah. I'm measuring all of my electrical outlets. After I understand my usage and consumption, I'll design an optimal way to reduce power without significantly limiting my quality of life.
Right now, it's "Use the treadmill in the morning or late at night." Don't use it during surge pricing!

2024-12-09 02:54:42 CET

Over the last few weeks, my honeypots have been seeing an increase in scanner activity from China. They primarily come in during late night (2am-7am) and on weekends. (I assuming they are timing the scans for when people in the US are usually not actively monitoring the network.)

2024-11-01 16:58:29 CET

Raid: Bad sectors on drive 2 have increased.
Me: How bad?
Raid: 231 bad sectors.
(two hours later)
Raid: Bad sectors on drive 2 have increased.
Me: How bad?
Raid: 751 bad sectors.
Okay, time to replace a drive.

2024-10-09 00:16:42 CEST

The Hacker Factor Blog: Repeat Offenders https://www.hackerfactor.com/blog/index.php?/archives/1045-Repeat-Offenders.html

2024-09-03 21:12:54 CEST

I keep hearing about AI being used to replace artists, writers, creators, editors, fact checkers, accountants, etc. How soon before AI replaces CEOs and other executives?

2024-08-28 00:53:31 CEST

Many years ago, I worked in a cubicle farm. We'd do pranks when people took time off. For one of my coworkers, I had the department fill his cubicle with pink and blue balloons, some said "It's a boy!" or "It's a girl!"
One coworker remarked: "I didn't know he was taking time off for a new child!" My reply: "Child? He's not even seeing anyone as far as I know! He's just on vacation." This is "2 gross bags" of balloons (almost 300).
https://noc.social/system/media_attachments/files/113/036/433/161/209/807/original/ebc430c7d70a4c27.jpeg