Ever heard of a group called “Crackas With Attitude”? If not, buckle up, because their story is a wild ride involving two teenagers orchestrating hacks against some of the most secure government agencies in the world. Imagine being so bold you not only breach top-secret systems but also directly taunt their directors. It sounds like a movie, right? But it’s true, and it all happened thanks to some serious digital prowess and a little bit of social engineering.
Meet the Crackas: Justin Liverman and Kane Gamble
Our story centers on two main characters: Justin Liverman (known online as “Default”) and Kane Gamble (known as “Cracka”). These weren’t your typical masterminds in darkened rooms filled with multiple monitors. One was a young athlete with a knack for competitive gaming who stumbled into hacking out of curiosity. The other was a British teenager driven by anti-imperialist sentiments and a strong stance against the War on Terror.
Justin’s Journey: From RuneScape to Hacking Games
Justin’s journey into the world of hacking began with a heated argument on RuneScape. Yes, RuneScape! When another user threatened to hack him, Justin’s world was rocked. He didn’t just get angry; he got curious. “You can do that?” was his thought, and that curiosity led him down a rabbit hole of learning to exploit video games. He started with simple cheats and then progressed to more complex hacks.
His early exploits were driven by a desire to see what was possible, not necessarily to gain an advantage. This drive soon led him to the underground forums of Anonymous, a collective he eventually found too messy and risky due to political disagreements and the sheer number of potential infiltrators.
From Anonymous to AnonSec: Targeting Real-World Wrongs
Justin moved on from Anonymous to a lesser-known but arguably more professional group called AnonSec. This crew focused on hacktivism, using their skills to expose perceived injustices. Their targets included:
- Online Predators: They would infiltrate predator forums, gather evidence, and anonymously report offenders to the FBI, leading to numerous arrests.
- Bestiality Rings: In 2014, Denmark had no laws against bestiality. AnonSec exposed underground networks, publishing files that brought awareness and ultimately led to a ban in the country.
This shows a clear pattern: these hackers weren’t interested in credit card fraud. They focused on what they believed was wrong, operating as modern-day vigilantes.
The CIA Hack: A Masterclass in Social Engineering
Then came the Snowden leaks in 2013, which revealed the NSA’s extensive surveillance programs. Justin and Kane, now working together as Crackas With Attitude, saw this as an immense hypocrisy. Government agencies were doing broadly similar things to what hackers were arrested for, yet they operated with impunity and even lied to Congress.
Filled with anger, they set their sights on the biggest fish: the CIA.
Calling Verizon: The Director’s Personal Details
Their brilliant plan didn’t involve complex code initially. It was simple social engineering. They targeted John Brennan, the then-director of the CIA, by first acquiring his personal phone number through a data broker. Then, pretending to be a Verizon field technician experiencing system issues, they called Verizon customer support. A little bluffing and a random, successful entry of a fake agent ID were all it took to get Brennan’s personal email, phone number, PIN, and even the last four digits of his credit card.
AOL Access and Shocking Discoveries
With this information, they managed to access Brennan’s personal AOL email account. While you might expect a top government official to keep personal and professional separate, especially in the early 2010s, this wasn’t entirely the case. They found official communications, complete with agents’ social security numbers, being sent from his personal account!
- Unsecured Communications: Official information flowing through a private, unsecured email.
- Embarrassing Details: Jokes about George W. Bush’s name.
The Taunt: “We Own You”
Armed with this treasure trove of personal and sensitive data, Kane, who reportedly was addicted to marijuana, called John Brennan directly. The call, allegedly with Justin also on the line, was a deliberate taunt. They read off Brennan’s social security number, address, email, and Verizon PIN, declaring, “We own you!” Justin later claimed they could hear Brennan crying on the phone, a testament to the sheer terror and violation he must have felt.
This wasn’t an isolated incident. They used similar social engineering tactics to gain access to the data of:
- James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence
- Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security (they even hacked his home Wi-Fi and displayed the message “I OWN YOU” on his Smart TV!)
The Fallout: Arrests, Prison, and a Bitcoin Fortune Lost
The government was in crisis mode. All these high-ranking intelligence directors were compromised within 24 hours. They were relocated to safe houses, and an intense investigation began. Crackas With Attitude escalated their campaign by compiling a massive database of 31,000 federal agents’ personal data (phone numbers, addresses, emails, passwords, SSNs) and publishing it online. They also sent confidential documents and even Brennan’s criminal history to WikiLeaks.
Justin’s Downfall
Justin’s arrogance, fueled by years of successful hacks, eventually became his undoing. While celebrating a successful hack, he drunkenly confessed to a friend about his involvement. Unbeknownst to Justin, this friend had motives of his own and reported him to the FBI.
Justin’s security setup was extreme: routing his internet through a Dairy Queen’s Wi-Fi via a satellite dish and encrypting his entire hard drive every time he shut down his computer. However, the FBI was already tracking him. They knew his routine. They waited until he initiated the decryption process, then busted down his door, copied his hard drive, and confiscated everything—including an external hard drive containing thousands of Bitcoin, which at its peak was worth millions.
Justin received a five-year prison sentence. During his incarceration, he exposed issues within the prison system, leading to a year in solitary confinement during COVID-19. Upon his release, he faces a two-year ban from the internet, making it incredibly difficult to find work in today’s connected world. He’s reportedly attempting to become a day trader, a profession that doesn’t require direct employment.
Kane’s Fate
Kane, still a teenager, faced a similar raid in the UK. He served a year in juvenile detention and also received a temporary internet ban. His story highlights the youth and audacity behind these sophisticated attacks.
The Legacy of Crackas With Attitude
The story of Crackas With Attitude is a stark reminder of the power of social engineering and the vulnerabilities that exist even in the highest echelons of power. It’s a tale of two young individuals who, for better or worse, exposed deep-seated issues within government security and ignited a massive debate about privacy, oversight, and a hacker’s true motivations. While their methods were illegal, their actions forced a conversation about accountability that continues to this day.
What would you do if your personal information was exposed by a couple of teens? Let us know in the comments below!
Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning and laughing a lot while you do, you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode right now!
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