weev

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A recent photo of Auernheimer
Photo of Auernheimer

Andrew Alan Escher Auernheimer[1] (pronounced AW-ren-hi-mer)[2] 1 September 1985), also known by his pseudonym weev, is an American grey hat[3] hacker and self-described Internet troll[4]. He has identified himself as Escher Auernheimer to the media, although most sources correctly provide his first name as Andrew.[4][5]

Contents

[edit] Hacking

Auernheimer claimed responsibility for the disruption to Amazon's services in April 2009 when many books on gay issues were reclassified as pornography.[6][7] Amazon claimed that Auernheimer was not responsible for the incident.[8] Even before the Amazon incident, several media publications profiled Auernheimer regarding his hacking and trolling activities, notably The New York Times, in which he claimed to be a member of a hacker group called “the organization,” making $10 million annually. He also claimed to be the owner of a Rolls-Royce Phantom.[9][10][11] After the Times story on Auernheimer was published, reporters sought out Auernheimer for commentary on hacking-related stories. Gawker published a story on the Sarah Palin email hacking incident and prominently featured Auernheimer's comments in the title of the story.[12]

[edit] AT&T data breach

Auernheimer is a member of the group of computer experts known as "Goatse Security" that exposed a flaw in AT&T security which allowed the e-mail addresses of iPad users to be revealed.[13] The group revealed the security flaw to Gawker Media after AT&T had been notified, as well as exposing the data of 114,000 iPad users, including those of celebrities, the government and the military.[14] The actions of this group re-provoked the debate on the disclosure of security flaws.[15] Auernheimer maintains that Goatse Security used common industry standard practices and has said that "we tried to be the good guys".[3][15] Jennifer Granick of the Electronic Frontier Foundation has also defended the tactics used by Goatse Security.[15]

The FBI then opened an investigation into the incident.[16] The FBI investigation led to a criminal complaint in January 2011.[17]

Shortly after the investigation was opened, Auernheimer's house was raided by the FBI and local police. The FBI search was related to its investigation of the AT&T security breach but Auernheimer was subsequently detained on state drug charges.[18] Police allege that, during their execution of the search warrant related to the AT&T breach, they found cocaine, ecstasy, LSD, and schedule 2 and 3 pharmaceuticals.[19] He was released on a $3,160 bail pending state trial.[20] After his release on bail, he broke a gag order to protest what he maintained are violations of his civil rights. In particular, he disputed the legality of the search of his house and denial of access to a public defender. He also asked for donations via PayPal, to defray legal costs.[3][21]

In January 2011, all drug-related charges were dropped immediately following Auernheimer's arrest by federal authorities. The U.S. Justice Department announced that he will be charged with one count of conspiracy to access a computer without authorization and one count of fraud.[22] Although his co-defendant, Daniel Spitler, was quickly released on bail, Auernheimer was initially denied bail due to his unemployment and lack of a family member to host him before being released on $50,000 bail in late February 2011.[2][23] Auernheimer was incarcerated in the Federal Transfer Center, Oklahoma City in February 2011.[24] A federal grand jury in Newark, New Jersey, indicted Auernheimer with one count of conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to computers and one count of identity theft in early July 2011.[25] As of September 2011 he is free on bail and raising money for his legal defense fund.[26]

[edit] Political views and critical reception

Auernheimer has published a number of podcasts and keeps a LiveJournal blog[9] in which he offers commentary on racial and cultural issues. His views have proved controversial, causing Philip Elmer-DeWitt to dub him "the ugliest computer hacker".[27] Others have interpreted his work as deliberately offensive humor, with Fox News calling it "offensive and witty detail"[28] and a Forbes author telling readers to "think: Shakespeare's Puck".[29] This interpretation is in dispute, with an Atlantic magazine author calling the Puck reference "oddly generous".[30]

Auernheimer is an advocate for free speech. He defended the satirical wiki Encyclopedia Dramatica in a Ninemsn interview[31] which was cited as "rather brilliant" in an article about Australian internet censorship published in The Register.[32]

His actions have sometimes been described as hacktivism. Australian media commentator Emma Jane has characterized him as a "celebrity hacktivist".[33]

Auernheimer has shown support for the Occupy Wall Street protest movement, stating that he "had a strong decade of infuriating rich people."[34]

In November 2011, Auernheimer launched a one-hour weekly commentary program, "Christian Living," on non-commercial radio station WFMU. After two episodes, the show was dropped.

[edit] Trolling

Auernheimer is a member of the Gay Nigger Association of America,[30] a group of organized trolls who take their name from the 1992 Danish movie Gayniggers from Outer Space.[35] Members of Goatse Security involved with the iPad hack are also members of GNAA.[17][30]

[edit] See also

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[edit] References

  1. ^ Wallworth, Adam (2011-01-19). "Fayetteville man charged in e-mail scam". NWA Online. NWA Media. http://www.nwaonline.com/news/2011/jan/19/fayetteville-man-charged-e-mail-scam-20110119/. Retrieved 2011-08-20. 
  2. ^ a b Voigt, Kurt (21 January 2011). "No bail for 2nd iPad e-mail address theft suspect". MSNBC.com. Associated Press. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41196595/ns/technology_and_science-security/. Retrieved 15 February 2011. 
  3. ^ a b c AT&T iPad 'hacker' breaks gag order to rant at cops The Register, John Leyden. 7 July 2010
  4. ^ a b Mills, Elinor (10 June 2010). "Hacker defends going public with AT&T's iPad data breach (Q&A)". CNET News. http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20007407-245.html. 
  5. ^ Hacker in AT&T-iPad Security Case Arrested CBS News, Elinor Mills. 15 June 2010
  6. ^ Thomas, Owen (13 April 2009). "Why It Makes Sense That a Hacker's Behind Amazon's Big Gay Outrage". Gawker.com (Gawker Media). http://valleywag.gawker.com/5210142/why-it-makes-sense-that-a-hackers-behind-amazons-big-gay-outrage. Retrieved 5 February 2010. 
  7. ^ Fowler, Geoffrey A. (14 April 2009). "Did "Weev" Play a Role in Amazon "Error?"". WSJ Blogs (The Wall Street Journal). http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/04/14/did-weev-play-a-role-in-amazon-error/tab/article/. Retrieved 5 February 2010. 
  8. ^ Thomas, Owen (13 April 2009). "Amazon.com Says 'Embarrassing' Error, Not Hacker, Censored 57,310 Gay Books". Gawker.com (Gawker Media). http://valleywag.gawker.com/5210653/amazoncom-says-embarrassing-error-not-hacker-censored-57310-gay-books. Retrieved 5 February 2010. 
  9. ^ a b Schwartz, Mattathias (3 August 2008). "The Trolls Among Us". NYTimes.com (The New York Times Company). http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/magazine/03trolls-t.html?_r=1. Retrieved 5 February 2010. 
  10. ^ Thomas, Owen (3 August 2008). "Journalists do it for the lulz". Gawker.com (Gawker Media). http://valleywag.gawker.com/5032989/journalists-do-it-for-the-lulz. Retrieved 5 February 2010. 
  11. ^ Birch, Alex (8 August 2008). "Interview: Professional Hacker and Troll Weev". Corrupt (CORRUPT.org). http://www.corrupt.org/act/interviews/weev. Retrieved 5 February 2010. 
  12. ^ Moe (18 September 2008). "Hacker From That Times Story On Palin Emails: "i wish they'd done it properly"". Gawker.com (Gawker Media). http://gawker.com/5051974/hacker-from-that-times-story-on-palin-emails-i-wish-theyd-done-it-properly. Retrieved 5 February 2010. 
  13. ^ FBI Opens Probe of iPad Breach Wall Street Journal, Spencer Ante and Ben Worthen. 11 June 2010
  14. ^ Mills, Elinor (9 June 2010). "AT&T Web site exposes data of 114,000 iPad users". CNET News (CNET News). http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20007309-245.html. Retrieved 11 July 2010. 
  15. ^ a b c Worthen, Ben; Spencer E. Ante (14 June 2010). "Computer Experts Face Backlash". WSJ.com. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703885104575303032919382858.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_tech. 
  16. ^ Tate, Ryan (9 June 2010). "Apple's Worst Security Breach: 114,000 iPad Owners Exposed". Gawker.com (Gawker Media). http://gawker.com/5559346/apples-worst-security-breach-114000-ipad-owners-exposed. Retrieved 13 June 2010. 
  17. ^ a b United States District Court - District Court of New Jersey, Docket: MAG 11-4022 (CCC). Filed with the court 13 January 2011
  18. ^ Dowell, Andrew (17 June 2010). "Programmer Detained After FBI Search". The Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704198004575310634055906968.html?mod=WSJ_PersonalTechnology_LEFTTop. 
  19. ^ Mills, Elinor (15 June 2010). "Hacker in AT&T-iPad security case arrested on drug charges". CNET News (CNET News). http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20007827-245.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20. Retrieved 11 July 2010. 
  20. ^ Perna, Gabriel (17 June 2010). "Arrested Hacker's Web Site Reveals Extremist Views". International Business Times (International Business Times). http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/29267/20100617/goatse-hacker-blog-shows-extremist-views.htm. Retrieved 11 July 2010. 
  21. ^ weev. "Hypocrites and Pharisees". Goatse.fr. http://security.goatse.fr/hypocrites-and-pharisees. 
  22. ^ "Criminal charges filed against AT&T iPad attackers - Computerworld". 18 January 2011. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9205403/Criminal_charges_filed_against_AT_T_iPad_attackers. 
  23. ^ Porter, David (28 February 2011). "Suspect in iPad Data Theft Released on Bail in NJ". ABC News. Associated Press. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=13023509. Retrieved 2 March 2011. 
  24. ^ "Andrew Allen Auernheimer[original research?]." Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved on 21 February 2011.
  25. ^ Stempel, Jonathan (6 July 2011). "iPad hacker Andrew Auernheimer indicted by Newark grand jury". Huffington Post. Reuters. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/06/ipad-hacker-andrew-auernheimer-indictment_n_891673.html. Retrieved 12 September 2011. 
  26. ^ Mills, Elinor (12 September 2011). "AT&T-iPad site hacker to fight it on in court (exclusive)". CNET News. CNET News. http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20105097-245/at-t-ipad-site-hacker-to-fight-on-in-court-exclusive. Retrieved 12 September 2011. 
  27. ^ Elmer-DeWitt, Philip (17 June 2010). "The ugliest computer hacker". CNNMoney.com (Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company). http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/06/17/the-ugliest-computer-hacker/. Retrieved 18 June 2010. 
  28. ^ "Hacker: I was behind Amazon Gay Book Delisting". Fox News. 14 April 2009. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,514923,00.html. Retrieved 11 December 2010. 
  29. ^ Buley, Talor (13 April 2009). "Amazon: Caught in the act". Forbes (Forbes magazine). http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/13/amazon-gay-outrage-weev-technology-internet-amazon.html. Retrieved 11 December 2010. 
  30. ^ a b c Chokshi, Niraj (10 June 2010). "Meet one of the hackers who exposed the iPad security leak". The Atlantic (The Atlantic Monthly Group). http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/06/meet-one-of-the-hackers-who-exposed-the-ipad-security-leak/57969/. Retrieved 11 December 2010. 
  31. ^ Paget, Henri (9 March 2010). "Interview: Encyclopedia Dramatica moderator". Ninemsn (Ninemsn, a Microsoft and PBL Media Company). http://news.ninemsn.com.au/technology/1025127/interview-with-encyclopedia-dramatica-moderator. Retrieved 9 December 2010. 
  32. ^ Oates, John (17 March 2010). "Irate aussies go after US website". The Register. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/03/17/aussie_censor_us/print.html. Retrieved 9 December 2010. 
  33. ^ Jane, Emma (5 March 2011). "Ugly trolls set internet freedom in flames". The Australian. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/ugly-trolls-set-internet-freedom-in-flames/story-e6frg6zo-1226015791415. Retrieved 29 March 2011. 
  34. ^ Andrew "Weev" Auernheimer, hacker in AT&T iPad case, on Occupy Wall Street
  35. ^ Dean, Jodi (2010). Blog Theory: Feedback and Capture in the Circuits of Drive. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. pp. 6. 

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