Cracking Tinychat

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For about a year now, I have been enjoying the online service called Tinychat. It is a place where random people can create virtual rooms, and chat on camera, with a microphone, and by text.

Looks a bit different...

Their service is provided through a Flash client that handles all the technicalities. Naturally, people became curious, wanting to hack into the service, for fun. It becomes a sort of game, where one hacker would annoy another person's room, by figuring out which data packets do what, and replicating or changing them; spamming the other room with messages.

Other than spamming for fun and challenge, users figured out they could create bots. Bots are applications that mimic an actual user, but usually only to the extent that they obey another. So, if only moderators could play videos in the room, now a user with access to the bot can also play videos.

This sort of delegation lets rooms become more friendly and interactive, by reducing the workload of the moderators. The bot itself works by using RTMP and AMF libraries; the former to make the streaming connection, and the latter to encode & decode the data packets.

I have had the pleasure of working with existing PHP and Python bots, and editing them for increased functionality. I used Wireshark, filtered for the room's IP address, and sniffed out the command packets. It felt like the internet should be; a wild place, full of opportunities and troubles, inhabited by curious lively individuals.

I wanted to share all of this, in summary, with you. I have just had a good couple of weeks, coding and cracking code, enjoying the results with my friends there. I will leave you with a reference list, for those who are curious about the details. ;-)


https://www.wireshark.org/
Use the Find option, to locate commands or names. Here's a few examples of filters:
ip.addr == 209.212.144.103
ip.dst == 209.212.144.117
!(ip.dst == 209.212.144.105) && frame.cap_len < 200 && !(frame.cap_len == 54)

http://pastebin.com/Aht0r1V9
An older semi-functional bot in Python, that I found while googling around. It's quite a big hint.

Artificial Salvation

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"A research lab, in every house, will be the marking of a new philosophical age!" Sir Kevin II exclaimed, standing on a small podium, in front of a large audience. The crowd applauded, rising to give standing ovations.

"Over the top," Jessica commented, as they headed backstage to rest.

"Not at all," Kevin responded, wiping his face with a towel. "This isn't just about making toys and utensils anymore, Jessica. We can make a difference, with our organisation," he emphasised.

"We already are," Jessica sat down for her mug of hot coffee and smiled to herself. Kevin was not always so ambitious. They had both seen hard years of little funds and no support from others, before they finally made it big. Well, as big as any small successful group. Not rich, anyhow.

In the meanwhile, another organisation was forming its first branch. A group of young and learned activists, with their hands on the beating pulse of society.

"In hell," James began, sitting down, holding a bottle of unlabeled homemade beer, "nothing has a price tag."

"In hell, nothing has a price tag?" The second James, James Mallorie, wondered aloud. "How did you reach that conclusion?" He asked, and turned to look at the first James.

"Entire industries are shutting down. The markets are becoming desperate. People are losing jobs," James finished, and examined each face in the circle of chairs about him. They all seemed... Interested... But maybe not in the same topic, that was all.

"But new jobs are being made. People are becoming more free, to do what they wish with their lives," Mallorie played the devil's advocate, smiling as he spoke.

"I wasn't saying it's evil," James responded reasonably. "Only that we should tread more carefully with this new technology. Ask more question, and make sure we don't go around hurting people, right?"

The circle nodded in consensus.

Atlas from the game Portal, made with a 3D Printer, by Psychobob.

Personal Creator Lab, commonly referred to as PCL, had become a household brand. In modern society, at the edge of technology, there was hardly a house or apartment without such a device. Simply speaking, it was a small automated factory; suitable for the needs and resources of an individual.

With a minimal investment, any random Joe could now purchase the machine, buy the necessary materials, buy or find the plans for whatever it is they wanted to make, and in the push of a button, it was made. Modern age magic!

Kevin and Jessica, departing from their plane and on route to their hotel, inhaled the fresh moist air of the Mexican jungles.

"Printing Malaria medicine and all sorts of drugs," Jessica began saying, ducked a low branch and continued, "those drugs will make the third world seem like paradise."

"Paradise," Kevin echoed. "Enter paradise, by pressing a button," he grinned, his eyes reflecting dreams and ambitions.

Jessica looked at her mobile, and heard the news in one ear: "Political activist groups calling for regulation of PCLs," and, "Congress discussing a new law that would require printing permits and licensing, that may limit what and how much each person can print."

She moaned silently. She should not bother Kevin with such nonsense. Politics is not what they do, anyway.