$1.2 Million Worth of MS Points Taken After Hackers Figure Out Code Algorithm 203
The Save and Quit blog reports that a group of hackers figured out the algorithm behind a set of promotional codes that were each redeemable for 160 MS points, the currency used on Xbox Live. Quoting:
"A person would just have to sit back and refresh over and over and rack up the 160MSP codes. Not every code would work, but a majority would. The site started to 404 due to the heavy traffic. If you have closer ties to the pirating community, you could find a program to get the codes for you. ... This method took a little more work out of the user, but it was still simple enough for a 12 year old to figure out. ... Microsoft found out about this exploit and put a stop to it immediately, but internet pirates still had enough time to steal $1.2 million worth of Microsoft Points."
Comment removed (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:They didn't steal anything. (Score:3, Insightful)
It's not like MS ran out of codes.
Tell that to someone who legitimately had one of these codes that couldn't redeem it because someone else used it.
Re:A 12 year old? (Score:2, Insightful)
Go spend some time with a group of "today's kids." Then watch Idiocracy. Then weep as the truth becomes clear to you.
Boggles the mind (Score:5, Insightful)
Why weren't these codes completely random? Why don't they have a database of valid and used codes, where codes only get inserted when they're printed on cards that are then shipped to stores? Perhaps most importantly, why would you EVER have a public web-accessible interface to generate codes on the fly?
Re:$1.2 million worth of Microsoft Points (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Dumb kids (Score:4, Insightful)