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Explain to Me Why Stuff Like This is Even Vaguely Legal

Hackers have developed an automated, easy-to-use tool to break into Oracle databases

Hackers have developed an automated, easy-to-use tool to break into Oracle databases that's going to be unveiled at the annual Black Hat conference in Las Vegas in a few days. Supposedly it's for simulating attacks on computer systems but it will also be available to prying employees looking to upgrade their pay packets, amateur hackers with time on their hands and plain old-fashioned cyber crooks. According to Reuters, it was developed using the open source Metasploit Project, which has already released some of the most technically sophisticated exploits to public security vulnerabilities. Oracle has reportedly issued defensive patches, but that doesn't mean they're installed. While there are Metasploit hacks for Windows, Firefox and IE, the wire service says this is the first Metasploit program to target Oracle. There have been other ways to hack Oracle, but this one's reportedly way easier and quicker.

More Stories By Maureen O'Gara

Maureen O'Gara the most read technology reporter for the past 20 years, is the Cloud Computing and Virtualization News Desk editor of SYS-CON Media. She is the publisher of famous "Billygrams" and the editor-in-chief of "Client/Server News" for more than a decade. One of the most respected technology reporters in the business, Maureen can be reached by email at maureen(at)sys-con.com or paperboy(at)g2news.com, and by phone at 516 759-7025.

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