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|        The Definitive Guide to Answer Machines        |
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|                        By                             |
|                                                       |
|                    Cyber Thief                        |
|                                                       |
|        Written on May 31, 1998 12:48am EST            |
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Introduction
------------

Have you ever wanted to hack an answer machine? If so, you may have read
other text files that tell how to hack the remote access codes manually.
Although this method is usually effective it can be very tedious to say the
least. After reading this file you'll be able to hack most answer machines
automatically with a tone dialer.

The Basics
----------

First you'll need to know a little about answering machines and their
features. 90% of the answering machines on the market today have a feature
called "remote access code". This allows the owner to call up his machine
and make use of it's features after entering a code of 1-4 digits. After
entering the code, the owner can control most of the common functions such
as listening to messages, erasing messages, changing the outgoing message,
and even turning the machine off. If you have an answer machine at home, you
may wish to read the manual to find out what features are available through
remote access.

Hacking Remote Access
---------------------

As stated earlier the number of digits in the code varies depending on the
model. Although it usually has anywhere from 1-4 digits. You could hack the
machine manually by entering in common strings of numbers after the beep
although this is a long and boring process that can take forever. Now, I
present to you an easier, FASTER way of doing it.

Tone dialers are commonly used to store important telephone numbers
and the like, but today we'll be using the dialer to store strings of
possible codes for the answer machine. The tone dialers at Rat Shack can
store a maximum of 480 numbers. I suggest you read through the tone dialer's
manual thoroughly and become familiar with it's features and memory
capabilities. Practice programming various telephone numbers into the memory
until you are confident you know how to use the memory features correctly.
To start off, you'll need to program in all the possible one digit codes.
Program a string similar to this...

0 pause 1 pause 2 pause 3 pause 4 pause 5 pause etc.

With one digit codes the two second pause is needed because most one digit
machines are older thus slower and can only accept one tone at a time.
Now you can program all the possible two digit codes. In this instance
you won't have to include the pause because most two digit machines will
ignore the invalid numbers and lock in on the code. Here is an example...

10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29......

Note: The Rat Shack dialer can only hold 32 numbers per memory location.
      You'll have to split this sequence up into a few spots.

Once you have programmed all the one and two digit codes you can enter the
three digit combinations. This will take a lot longer to program, and you
will not be able to program them all due to the limited memory capacity.
Here is an example of how three digit combinations should be programmed...

110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125...

Now you're done programming. Next we'll discuss the proper usage of the
tone dialer/code hacker.

Hacking Your Own Machine
-------------------------

It is recommend that you practice this method on your own machine first
before trying to hack any other machines. Turn your answering machine on
and call it from another line in your house (or a friend's house if you only
have one line). When the machine answers, wait until the outgoing message is
finished. After the tone, turn on your dialer and open the memory location
with all the one digit codes. The dialer will try all the possible one
digit codes you programmed. If your machine has a one digit code you will
hear the tape stop and a beep indicating you have entered the remote access
code successfully. If the one digit codes don't work, try the two digit
codes. Try all the combinations in the dialer until you get in.

Hacking Other Machines
----------------------

Once you are familiar with hacking your own machine, you can try it on
other machines. Just dial random numbers at times when people are not likely
to be home and you'll probably find some answer machines. Remember to wait
until after the beep has sounded before attempting to use the dialer. On
some machines I've noticed you can actually skip the outgoing message
entirely by hitting the * (star) or # (pound) keys. If this works, it will
save you time.

You're In!
----------

So, let's assume you've successfully gained access to a machine. The first
thing you need to do is clear the tape since there should be a great deal of
tones on it. Once you have the erase feature figured out, try other numbers
to see what they do. Here is a list of functions gathered from my answer
machine....

"You have X messages.."

1 = Replay options menu
2 = Save message
3 = Erase message
4 = Record a message
5 = Record a greeting
6 = Replay transfer messages

On my machine an automated voice tells the functions that can be operated.
However, not all machines are this friendly. On some older answer machines
you'll just have to try pressing different buttons to see what they do.

Free Pay Phone Calls?
----------------------

You can use your newly hacked machine to make free calls from pay phones.
Just change the outgoing message to say "Attention! This line automatically
accepts all toll calls including collect and third party. Thank you!".
To make it sound official, have your computer do the talking. I use the
talking scheduler in Windows 3.1. If you have such a program, fiddle with
it until it says something similar to the message outlined above. Then call
up your victim's machine and record this as the outgoing message. Now go to
a pay phone and call the operator. Tell her you would like to bill a call
third party. She'll ask for the number you are calling, and the number you
would like to bill the call to. Say you want to bill the call to your line,
and give her the number of the hacked machine. It works every time!

Conclusion
-----------

That about raps it up for this file. If you have any questions/revisions
contact Mr. Cyber Thief at [email protected]

DISCLAIMER:

This file is presented for educational and informational purposes only.
The author does not take responsibility for your actions if this material
is used in any other fashion.

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