Idaho prison inmates exploited tablet vulnerability to steal $225,000 in credits

Idaho prison inmates exploited tablet vulnerability to steal $225,000 in credits

6 years ago
Anonymous $RBasgWKaIV

https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/26/17619972/idaho-prison-inmates-tablet-hacks-jpay-stolen-credits-250-thousand

A group of 364 prison inmates housed across a series of Idaho corrections facilities collectively stole nearly $225,000 worth of digital credits by exploiting a vulnerability in tablets provided by a company called JPay, according to the Associated Press. JPay is a private company that provides digital services like email, music, games, and money transfer to prison inmates.

JPay provides inmates with access to the outside world, and prisons often adopt its services to help with rehabilitation and education. It does not appear to use taxpayer money to fund any of its services, nor does any of its revenue from digital sales typically go to the state. Instead, JPay will either let family members or friends of inmates purchase the tablet for them, or it will foot the bill for the device itself, as it did for 53,000 inmates in the New York State prison system earlier this year.