[Nasst-767]

  Hello everyone! I'm going to Direct a game soon, and I have a player who wants to be a stay-in-home hacker, so I started researching and a few questions popped up.

The goal of hacking into a node is to create your own account on the target node. In
order to hack a node, you must either be within mutual Signal range of the target node’s
device or have an open subscription with the node through the Matrix.

SR4A p 224 "Accesing nodes" seemed to imply that any kind of account was a subscription. And so a hacker would just need to suscribe to a node into a public account and then hack himself a better account.

But Unwired doesn't seems to agree.

The most important privilege normally granted
via user access is one slot on the subscription list. This allows the
user, or any of his agents, to enter the node in VR or AR mode.

Since it's the most important privilege granted to user accounts, it implies that public accounts can't "enter" the node and are not in the "subscription list" meaning, maybe, that you're not subscribed when you browse a node with a public account, (maybe it's just data request, as per Unwired p 54).

So, I wonder, if my hacker wants to stay at home, could he just subscribe to the street sam commlink (with his permission, of course), probably with admin rights, see through the street sam cybereyes, hear through a microphone, and probably talk to his earbuds? If he wants to hack something from this new node, does it counts as in "mutual signal range" if the street sam is close enough? In that case, would he use his own stats (response, firewall, system, etc) and his own programs, or the street sam's stats and programs?


Also, what happens to the hacker's persona if someone hacks the "home node" (his commlink) while he's in another node? I guess he's in both places at the same time.

[_Pax_]

There are only three kind of accounts:  User, Security, and Admin.

"Public" accounts are just unsecured User accounts.  That is to say, "anyone and everyone can log on at the User account level."

[Nasst-767]

There are only three kind of accounts:  User, Security, and Admin.

"Public" accounts are just unsecured User accounts.  That is to say, "anyone and everyone can log on at the User account level."

Are you sure?

There are four levels
of access rights: User, Security, Admin (see Account Privileges, p.
216, SR4), and Public.

Public Access Rights
If a connection is established without sending any information
except the access ID, the connection is automatically granted
public access rights. This is the type of access a user receives when
she is entering the public part of a node. The public account allows
access to public data like website information, blogs, databases,
personal profiles, and so on. Depending on the accessed data,
different access rights might come with the public account, for example
the ability to write without a username in public forums.

User Access Rights
The vast majority of accounts on a standard Matrix node are
user accounts. The most important privilege normally granted
via user access is one slot on the subscription list. This allows the
user, or any of his agents, to enter the node in VR or AR mode.
Most other rights vary from node to node and from account to
account. Depending on the purpose of the account, User accounts
grant access to file indexes, files, the ability to edit files, command
devices controlled by a node, upload data, common-use programs,
and so on.

They seem to be different according to Unwired. But maybe is just the way I'm reading it. Could you please elaborate?

[Sichr]

You(and Unwired) are right X _Pax_ is wrong

Only needles to say, that not every node has a public level...IMO most of private, business and security nodes have only user/security/admin(or at least some of those). On the other hand, Public services, GRID, netcaffees, shops etc would have this.

[Nasst-767]

You(and Unwired) are right X _Pax_ is wrong

Only needles to say, that not every node has a public level...IMO most of private, business and security nodes have only user/security/admin(or at least some of those). On the other hand, Public services, GRID, netcaffees, shops etc would have this.

Does this means that a public account is a subscription? (And thus a hacker can use it to hack himself better account).

[Blue_Lion]

The rule for hacking is described under exploit action i belive.

Think public access is just like your routing number. You can see what is there to a point but limited privlages. Not all servers will take public, accounts usaly only public places should have that. Any where you have a run you will need to hack/exploit to get an account with target number of success adjusted by account wanted.

As to staying at home and hack yes he can do it most the time but some times he may need to go there in person.

[Sichr]

You(and Unwired) are right X _Pax_ is wrong

Only needles to say, that not every node has a public level...IMO most of private, business and security nodes have only user/security/admin(or at least some of those). On the other hand, Public services, GRID, netcaffees, shops etc would have this.

Does this means that a public account is a subscription? (And thus a hacker can use it to hack himself better account).

Nope. I take it that it is simple pinging the nodes public interface with your querry. You don`t have persona in such node and basicaly you dont even have to pass the firewall.
Subscription is something you need for user account...and as you can read in that quoted paragraph, there are slots in subscription list with assigned AcessID and acess rights for this ID. once you get subscription, your persona appears in the node, and it also means you successed in Firewall passage. This or you have sucessfully hacked your subscription.

[Nasst-767]

As to staying at home and hack yes he can do it most the time but some times he may need to go there in person.

Please elaborate.

The rules state that I need either

a) A subscription to the node I want to hack

b) To be within mutual signal range

----------------------

a) Is impossible, only user/security/admin accounts count as a subscription, and you need hacking to get them. (Or someone give you an account from within the system)

So you *always* need to be within mutual signal range, which seems kinda odd since you can hack things from your home right now (2012). But in 2070 hackers need to go there in the meat?

I'd really like an explanation of how can you hack from your home. (If it's even possible).

[Lethe]

You got it all right already. But there are a few more options:

• Having admin access to your teammates commlink should qualify for being in mutual range, if his commlink is in mutual range.
• With public access you still can trace subscriptions from that node you want to hack, hack that user and steal his account.
• If you traced an user with at least security rights, you can use his access id to spoof/create yourself an account.
• You can also intercept an subscription with sniffer and insert fake traffic to create yourself an account.

[Sichr]

As to staying at home and hack yes he can do it most the time but some times he may need to go there in person.

Please elaborate.

The rules state that I need either

a) A subscription to the node I want to hack

b) To be within mutual signal range

----------------------

a) Is impossible, only user/security/admin accounts count as a subscription, and you need hacking to get them. (Or someone give you an account from within the system)

So you *always* need to be within mutual signal range, which seems kinda odd since you can hack things from your home right now (2012). But in 2070 hackers need to go there in the meat?

I'd really like an explanation of how can you hack from your home. (If it's even possible).

you need to bridge the Gap by Routing
And...rereaded Subscription...you dont need subscription only in case you are doing simple data request. If you want to acess node, even on public access level, you need subscription..
that would help you to buid the route/bridge even across an ocean...

[Lethe]

If you want to acess node, even on public access level, you need subscription..

The most important privilege normally granted via user access is one slot on the subscription list.

Except that by RAW, only with an user account you get a subscription. It is a privilege you don't get with just public access rights.

Every subscription and data request (see Data Requests, p. 54) is assigned certain privileges.

Here again, data requests are possible without an subscription... hint: public access.

In the case of full AR and VR connections (including the interactive simsense needed by a jumped-in rigger and sensible connections needed to command agents or drones), a simple data request is not enough.In these and other cases (see the Actions Needing Subscriptions table, p. 55), a fast, twoway, maintained connection called a subscription is needed

And again, for a simple data request, i.e. public access, you don't need an subscription.

[_Pax_]

There are only three kind of accounts:  User, Security, and Admin.

"Public" accounts are just unsecured User accounts.  That is to say, "anyone and everyone can log on at the User account level."

Are you sure?

Nope.  Now I'm only sure that I was completely, absolutely wrong.  Sorry about that.

[Sichr]

If you want to acess node, even on public access level, you need subscription..

The most important privilege normally granted via user access is one slot on the subscription list.

Except that by RAW, only with an user account you get a subscription. It is a privilege you don't get with just public access rights.

Every subscription and data request (see Data Requests, p. 54) is assigned certain privileges.

Here again, data requests are possible without an subscription... hint: public access.

In the case of full AR and VR connections (including the interactive simsense needed by a jumped-in rigger and sensible connections needed to command agents or drones), a simple data request is not enough.In these and other cases (see the Actions Needing Subscriptions table, p. 55), a fast, twoway, maintained connection called a subscription is needed

And again, for a simple data request, i.e. public access, you don't need an subscription.

I read that. Way I understand this:

ACTIONS NEEDING 
SUBSCRIPTIONS:
• Accessing a node*
• Command connections to drones and agents
• Encrypted connections†
• Jumped-in rigger connections to a drone
• Slaved connections (p. 59)
• Tacnets (p. 125)
• Using a program on another node

Public Access Rights
If a connection is established without sending any informa-tion except the access ID, the connection is automatically granted
public access rights.   is is the type of access a user receives when
she is entering the public part of a node.   e public account allows
access to public data like website information, blogs, databases,
personal pro les, and so on. Depending on the accessed data,
di  erent access rights might come with the public account, for ex-ample the ability to write without a username in public forums.

SO IMO there are two ways how to acess Public node...node with public acess:
Data Request (which works even on other nodes)
and Log On - creates subscription

Otherwise hacking across the globe would be impossible

You need to get into mutual range. Even if you try to bridge, you need to get into mutual signal range.
This means you need Subscription on the node in mutual signal range.
If there is no subscription on public level, and if you dont have any privileges for user accounts in Paris, i.e. you wont be able to create one, because even for hacking yourself user account need mutual signal range from the node you have subscription on.
So you would need to buy one from local hackerz, or use public account on some local caffee and then hack your way through, until you have subscription in the node in muztual signal range.
Withou this, you wont be able to get over ocean,...or you would need sattelite uplink and the you would need to hack yourself subscription on seattelite and then you would need to hack yourself an account on some other sattelite uplink on the other side of the great salt water...

So IMO it is possible to have subscription on Public node...based only on your AcessID, with no further rights etc...

 

[Blue_Lion]

As to staying at home and hack yes he can do it most the time but some times he may need to go there in person.

Please elaborate.

The rules state that I need either

a) A subscription to the node I want to hack

b) To be within mutual signal range

----------------------

a) Is impossible, only user/security/admin accounts count as a subscription, and you need hacking to get them. (Or someone give you an account from within the system)

So you *always* need to be within mutual signal range, which seems kinda odd since you can hack things from your home right now (2012). But in 2070 hackers need to go there in the meat?

I'd really like an explanation of how can you hack from your home. (If it's even possible).

A1 Hacking on the fly pg 235. do hacking + exploit target firewall extended test. to create a security account is firewall +3 admin is firewall +6. The target responds with analyze + firewall target your stealth rating. If it detects you an alert is triggered see pg 238 alerts.
A2 Probing is an test as above with interval changed but target only gets one chance to detect you.(pg 235)
(basically you find a flaw in the security of the system see pg 97 unwired, hacked accounts for what you would get this is what you get.)
Now if you have an account it is easer to hack your way in, but for A1 and A2 you only need to detect the target and it to accept input.

B. Mutral signal range can be established over the matrix land lines as long as the device is with in range of something you can connect to use the lowest signal of any connection. So could be you connect to your home nexus and then threw the matrix to a tower then a team mates com that is still mutual signal. Also see proxy servers pg 104. Basically if you can connect to the matrix then you can connect to any device in the matrix the wii fii system is set up to pass along data from others.

[UmaroVI]

Mutual signal range most definitely does not mean that, Blue_Lion. There are two ways to see this. The first requires that you do nothing more than read the sentence you are looking at: if mutual signal range just meant "both devices can communicate through routing," then it would be impossible to have a subscription and not have mutual signal range. The second is to look up what mutual signal range means:

When two devices are within the range of the lowest Signal rating of the two, they are said to be in mutual Signal range; this is required for direct device-to-device communication and for other applications.

So, to answer the original question:

Yes, you must have mutual signal range or a subscription to hack. The strongest evidence that a public account is not good enough is

The vast majority of accounts on a standard Matrix node are user accounts. The most important privilege normally granted via user access is one slot on the subscription list.

Public < User, so if Public also granted subscription rights this would not make any sense. In any case, though, not all nodes allow Public accounts so you cannot rely on this.

Therefore, remote hackers are of limited use. You can pull off remote hacks by, for example, social-engineering your way to a User account and using it to hack yourself a better account. But you cannot count on doing this all the time, and that means in SR4 a stay-at-home hacker is of limited value.