Xbox password flaw exposed by five-year-old boy

4.6
A five-year-old boy who worked out a security vulnerability on Microsoft's Xbox Live service has been officially thanked by the company.

Kristoffer Von Hassel, from San Diego, figured out how to log in to his dad's account without the right password.
Microsoft has fixed the flaw, and added Kristoffer to its list of recognised security researchers.
In an interview with local news station KGTV, Kristoffer said: "I was like yea!"

The boy worked out that entering the wrong password into the log-in screen would bring up a second password verification screen.
Kristoffer discovered that if he simply pressed the space bar to fill up the password field, the system would let him in to his dad's account.

Kristoffer's name now appears on a page set up to thank people who have discovered problems with Microsoft products.
The company also gave him four free games, $50 (£30), and a year-long subscription to Xbox Live.

Posted:
Related Forum: Xbox Forum

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26879185

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"Xbox password flaw exposed by five-year-old boy" :: Login/Create an Account :: 115 comments

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NBCPosted:

That's a clever little kid lol. I couldn't have figured it out :P

Zer0Posted:

to think a 5 year old was one to figure out a possible huge flaw is funny to me just saying

TravitorPosted:

how would a five-year-old be so successful?

919Posted:

This was more luck than anything, the kid was five i'm pretty sure he would know what he was doing completely.

KixaPosted:

Wow thats crazy he should of get atleast $500 i think or a free xbox oone

CreditedPhoenixPosted:

tattooedsins
ItsThy
tattooedsins
FaIIen
-CP
tattooedsins I still wonder why people keep supporting this money hungry company and xbox 360/xbox one.. wake up people


You are the one who needs to "wake up". The whole point of a business is to make money, not lose it. I hate communists like you who put down others for chasing the money.


Yeah I will never understand people like this. "That business needs to stop trying to make money."

lol this dude called me communist... do you really know what a communist is? you should lay off the games and hit them books real hard kid.

With your profile picture. Looks like you need to put down the swag and get a diploma. Don't be stubborn because they called you out.


"ItsThy nobody wanted your input stfu"


LOL, you just got wrecked my dude. Give up already.

tattooedsinsPosted:

ItsThy
tattooedsins
FaIIen
-CP
tattooedsins I still wonder why people keep supporting this money hungry company and xbox 360/xbox one.. wake up people


You are the one who needs to "wake up". The whole point of a business is to make money, not lose it. I hate communists like you who put down others for chasing the money.


Yeah I will never understand people like this. "That business needs to stop trying to make money."

lol this dude called me communist... do you really know what a communist is? you should lay off the games and hit them books real hard kid.

With your profile picture. Looks like you need to put down the swag and get a diploma. Don't be stubborn because they called you out.


ItsThy nobody wanted your input stfu

ItsThyPosted:

tattooedsins
FaIIen
-CP
tattooedsins I still wonder why people keep supporting this money hungry company and xbox 360/xbox one.. wake up people


You are the one who needs to "wake up". The whole point of a business is to make money, not lose it. I hate communists like you who put down others for chasing the money.


Yeah I will never understand people like this. "That business needs to stop trying to make money."

lol this dude called me communist... do you really know what a communist is? you should lay off the games and hit them books real hard kid.

With your profile picture. Looks like you need to put down the swag and get a diploma. Don't be stubborn because they called you out.

ActivatedPosted:

This is actually pretty cool to read about haha, a 5 year old made MS change their security,you don't see that every other day

tattooedsinsPosted:

FaIIen
-CP
tattooedsins I still wonder why people keep supporting this money hungry company and xbox 360/xbox one.. wake up people


You are the one who needs to "wake up". The whole point of a business is to make money, not lose it. I hate communists like you who put down others for chasing the money.


Yeah I will never understand people like this. "That business needs to stop trying to make money."


lol this dude called me communist... do you really know what a communist is? you should lay off the games and hit them books real hard kid.


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