[CQ-Contest] Spoofed Self spots

Barry W2UP w2up.co at gmail.com
Thu Nov 4 08:57:31 EDT 2021


Yes, Steve.  Keeping paper dupe sheets (and being dinged for logged dupes)
were loads of fun.  NOT!

Barry W2UP

On Thu, Nov 4, 2021 at 6:46 AM Steve Dyer (W1SRD) via CQ-Contest <
cq-contest at contesting.com> wrote:

> Gosh. Ken, Jim and Hans make me wonder if I can ever be a *real*
> contester. I've only ever known computer logging, solid state radios,
> packet spots, electronic keying, etc. The "good old days" must've really
> been something.
>
> Steve
> W1SRD
>
>
> On 11/3/2021 16:32, Ken K6MR wrote:
> > +1   Those were the days….
> >
> > Ken K6MR
> >
> > From: Jim Neiger<mailto:n6tj at sbcglobal.net>
> > Sent: Wednesday, November 3, 2021 12:08
> > To: cq-contest at contesting.com<mailto:cq-contest at contesting.com>
> > Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Spoofed Self spots
> >
> > Oh the wonderful world of spotting.
> >
> > Again  relegated to the Department of Be Careful What You Ask For.  And
> > fondly remembering the years when all were able to 1) find their own
> > DX,  and 2) actually could copy calls without assistance.
> >
> > Very 73,
> >
> > Jim Neiger   N6TJ
> >
> > 66 years of contest operating UN-Assisted.
> >
> >      KH7M (this past weekend where I was self-spotted at least once)
> > KH7M ( upcoming CQ WW CW).
> >
> >
> >
> > On 11/2/2021 6:05 PM, Randy Thompson wrote:
> >> Not sure self-spotting is the solution to the actual problem...
> >>
> >> Someone spammed the cluster system with cleverly designed spots that
> spoofed the sender's callsign.  As someone who has been harassed by this
> method of fake spots, it is frustrating.  I don't think people quite
> realize how unprotected the cluster network is.  Anyone can use any
> callsign to spot anything at any time.
> >>
> >> The cluster is not the banking system, but just as we need passwords
> for every other aspect of our on-line lives, it may be time for the cluster
> network to adopt the same.  Even if it is just for originating spots.  This
> of course means that spots traveling from one node to another will also
> need to carry some form of verification or validation of the originator.
> >>
> >> Randy K5ZD
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: CQ-Contest <cq-contest-bounces+k5zd=outlook.com at contesting.com>
> On Behalf Of Stanley Zawrotny
> >> Sent: Tuesday, November 2, 2021 9:04 AM
> >> To: John Dorr <cqk1ar at gmail.com>
> >> Cc: Steve Dyer <w1srd at yahoo.com>; CQ-Contest <cq-contest at contesting.com
> >
> >> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Spoofed Self spots
> >>
> >> The solution has already been proposed—allow self-spotting. Put SSB on
> a par with the CW RBN. No messy, long-drawn out technical effort required.
> Just say that it’s OK.
> >>
> >> Stan, K4SBZ
> >>
> >> "Real radio bounces off the sky."
> >>
> >>> On Nov 2, 2021, at 8:43 AM, John Dorr <cqk1ar at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Good morning,
> >>>
> >>> Just so everyone knows, the CQWW Contest Committee is taking this
> >>> issue very seriously and is investigating the issue in great detail
> >>> via some very smart network guys on my team. These spots will have no
> >>> impact on anyone's score. However, as always, we will continue to
> >>> review other cases where self-spotting is obvious and beyond what has
> >>> occurred in this particular situation.
> >>>
> >>> 73, John, K1AR
> >>> CQ WW Contest Director
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> On Tue, Nov 2, 2021 at 8:03 AM Steve Dyer via CQ-Contest <
> >>>> cq-contest at contesting.com> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> I really hope we don't have to start authenticating to clusters. The
> >>>> hassle to the many global users seems to far exceed the gravity of
> >>>> the problem. Every piece of software that uses clusters would have to
> >>>> implement whatever scheme was used. It would be a mess.
> >>>> Steve
> >>>> W1SRD
> >>>>
> >>>>> On 11/1/2021 18:10, K3IB Peter wrote:
> >>>>> Identifying bad guys by IP addresses is not a thing any more.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> I can change my home IP address at will.  Good luck getting Comcast
> >>>>> to
> >>>> tell you what IP address was on my router 3 days ago.
> >>>>> I can also attack from dozens of countries around the world by using
> >>>>> one
> >>>> of any number of inexpensive VPN services.
> >>>>> The best way forward is for clusters to start authenticating their
> >>>>> users
> >>>> with a simple, widely available mechanism like SQRL.
> >>>>> -peter K3IB
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> IIRC, maybe 20 years ago Dave, K1TTT did some pioneering work in
> >>>>>> identifying self-spotters, I think through the use of IP addresses
> >>>>>> It may be that the same techniques can be used today - or maybe
> >>>>>> they can at least demonstrate that these were *not* self-spots.
> Dave?
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> 73, Pete N4ZR
> >>>>>> Check out the new Reverse Beacon Network web server
> >>>>>> at<
> https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbeta.reversebeacon.net%2F&data=04%7C01%7C%7C4c5816c8e7134f641c9f08d99e24c9e2%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637714703115056396%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=6V7wNvb8ozUbD2knfydlnkBP57qLOQHvOh9JKc1%2FV5A%3D&reserved=0
> >.
> >>>>>> For spots, please use your favorite "retail" DX cluster.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> On 11/1/2021 2:46 PM, Michael Walker wrote:
> >>>>>>> Wow, what a surprise.  I just went and looked at my cluster and
> >>>>>>> sure enough.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> I was running unassisted and I see that I spotted myself twice.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> This is not good and the only reason is for someone to ensure that
> >>>>>>> the cluster logging can't be trusted.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> Mike va3mw
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> VA3MW-7>
> >>>>>>>      7215.1  VA3MW       31-Oct-2021 2319Z
> >>>>>>> <VA3MW>
> >>>>>>>      7215.1  VA3MW       31-Oct-2021 2313Z
> >>>>>>> <WT8WV>
> >>>>>>>      7215.1  VA3MW       31-Oct-2021 2305Z  LSB
> >>>>>>> <N2YO>
> >>>>>>>      7214.9  VA3MW       31-Oct-2021 2252Z  LSB
> >>>>>>> <N4SS>
> >>>>>>>      7215.0  VA3MW       31-Oct-2021 2249Z
> >>>>>>>     <W3MR>
> >>>>>>>      7215.0  VA3MW       31-Oct-2021 2244Z  LSB
> >>>>>>> <WU9D>
> >>>>>>>      7215.0  VA3MW       31-Oct-2021 2237Z
> >>>>>>>     <N3GT>
> >>>>>>>      7215.0  VA3MW       31-Oct-2021 2235Z  LSB
> >>>>>>>     <AC3LZ>
> >>>>>>>      7215.1  VA3MW       31-Oct-2021 2211Z
> >>>>>>> <VA3MW>
> >>>>>>>      7215.1  VA3MW       31-Oct-2021 2205Z
> >>>>>>> <KE1IH>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> On Mon, Nov 1, 2021 at 1:39 PM Dave K2XR via CQ-Contest <
> >>>>>>> cq-contest at contesting.com> wrote:
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> GM contesters.  Hope you all are resting well.
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> In the FRC chat room we have been discussing the abundance of
> >>>>>>>> apparent self spots during the contest.  Many of our participants
> >>>>>>>> who run had their callsigns spoofed and spots of themselves made.
> It seems to have
> >>>>>>>> happened to enough of us that the question was posed...   'Was it
> just
> >>>>>>>> FRC that was targeted, or was it all contesters? "
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> Looking on this reflector as well as the 3830 reflector, it
> >>>>>>>> didn't
> >>>> take
> >>>>>>>> long to see that it wasn't just FRC.
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fl
> >>>>>>>> ists.contesting.com%2Farchives%2F%2Fhtml%2F3830%2F2021-11%2Fmsg00
> >>>>>>>> 174.html&data=04%7C01%7C%7C4c5816c8e7134f641c9f08d99e24c9e2%7
> >>>>>>>> C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637714703115066391%7C
> >>>>>>>> Unknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI
> >>>>>>>> 6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=ivIW9Nn1XPNTt6BxeKNlN5Jf
> >>>>>>>> 5Co0%2FpE9co46pVpc0Ps%3D&reserved=0
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> Curious to know who else out there was targeted.  The were about
> >>>>>>>> 10 cases in the chat room I was in this AM, and suspect it might
> >>>>>>>> have
> >>>> been
> >>>>>>>> a huge problem.
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> Is there a way for the sysops to track down the origin ?     I
> would
> >>>>>>>> think so, but am not positive.
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> It would be great to nail the perpetrator, and some of us are
> >>>> demanding
> >>>>>>>> it if it is all possible.  Kind of ruins everything for some.
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>         Dave   K2XR      Frankford Radio Club
> >>>>>>>>
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> >>>>>>>> d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0
> >>>>>>>> %3D%7C1000&sdata=Cy16cmjTfMGAw4g7sIS43OEt442CdajENE29TjzVadU%
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