Re: Diebold Global Election Management System (GEMS) Backdoor Account Allows Authenticated Users to Modify Votes

From: Casper *** (casper_at_holland.sun.com)
Date: 09/29/04

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    To: Matthew Keller <mgkeller@users.sourceforge.net>
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 12:39:10 +0200

    >On Sun, 2004-09-26 at 13:16, Nicholas Knight wrote:
    >> Unrealistic? It is a *voting system*! It does exactly *one* *very*
    >> *simple* thing! If it cannot do it bug-free, its developers are
    >> incompetent and should not be allowed anywhere near a compiler, much
    >> less the key to democracy.
    >
    >Thank you. This is the most rational post I've seen.
    >
    >if(VoteForBush) { bush++; }
    >elseif(VoteForKerry) { kerry++; }
    >elseif(VoteForNader) { nader++; }
    >
    >Is not tough. Diebold's refusal to allow the world to see that is highly
    >suspicious. I suppose I'll get sued under the DMCA for posting their
    >intellectual property now... Or maybe I have to change line 2 to:
    >elseif(VoteForKerry) { bush++; } first... There, let the lawsuits rain

    You are underestimating the compexity of the system.

    Surely a touch screen is involved or some other device and
    an operating systems.

    Surely it's just a minor matter of programming of either the

            touchscreen
            window system
            OS

    to recognize a voting screen and redirect the input
    events to different buttons.

    A touch screen can do this by sending wrong coordinates
    and then fake output.

    A window system can do this by sending the even to the
    wrong button and doing some I/O substitution.

    All a minor matter of programming.

    And as other have said; as an ordinary voter you have to
    trust people who verified the voting system unless you
    get a paper copy of your ballot which you can put in the backup
    bin.

    Casper

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