Low Orbit Ion Cannon

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Edited screenshot of the application

Low Orbit Ion Cannon ( LOIC , English for ion cannon in low orbit ) is a load test computer program for computer networks . It creates a high load on the target computer, whose behavior can then be observed up to the point of failure. LOIC is open source software and in the public domain .

The name of the software refers to a fictional weapon of mass destruction from the computer game Command & Conquer .

Development and use

LOIC is written in C # and was originally developed by Praetox Technologies . It executes a Denial-of-Service attack (DoS) against a target computer by flooding it with TCP packets, UDP packets or HTTP requests with the intention of paralyzing the respective service or the entire computer. If several LOIC users join forces and attack the same target, one speaks of a distributed denial-of-service attack (DDoS), i.e. a distributed attack. The program gains its importance primarily through its simple operation, which makes little demands on the skills of the user.

In an extended version (version 1.1.1.3) of "NewEraCracker", this tool was used as part of Operation Payback to temporarily paralyze the online presence of companies such as Mastercard , Visa , PayPal and PostFinance , which WikiLeaks had denied their services. It was downloaded more than 30,000 times between December 8-10, 2010.

This version can be set to the so-called "Hive Mode" and then centrally controlled via Internet Relay Chat . It allows you to take part in attacks without doing much of your own. A new implementation in JavaScript called "JS LOIC" can be started from the browser and reduces the demands on the user's skills to calling up a website and pressing a button. With all versions of LOIC , however , the IP address can be traced relatively easily. This enables the attacker to be identified if he is not protected by an anonymizer program. Such protection usually lowers the data transmission rate to such an extent that a DoS attack is no longer possible.

Legal situation

The DoS attacks that can be carried out with the program are threatened in Germany with a prison sentence of up to two years or a fine ( data change according to §303a StGB ), unless one is in possession of the target system or is authorized by the owner to carry out the attacks (e.g. B. for stress tests ). As soon as the unauthorized attack on a foreign system is successful and the affected party can no longer be reached, the maximum imprisonment sentence increases to three years ( computer sabotage according to §303b StGB). In addition, civil law claims can be asserted.

In the UK , even downloading the program carries a two-year prison sentence.

In the Netherlands , participating in DDoS attacks carries a prison sentence of up to six years.

See also

Web links

Commons : Low Orbit Ion Cannon  - collection of images, videos, and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Financial Times Deutschland on December 14, 2010: The extra-parliamentary Internet opposition. Archived from the original on December 16, 2010 ; Retrieved December 29, 2010 .
  2. ↑ WikiLeaks attacks: The stronger one adds up. Spiegel Online , December 11, 2010, accessed December 11, 2010 .
  3. ↑ Wikileaks DDoS tool downloads grow rapidly. (No longer available online.) Network World , December 10, 2010, archived from the original on June 14, 2011 ; Retrieved December 11, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.networkworld.com
  4. ↑ a b How Operation Payback Executes Its Attacks. mashable.com, December 10, 2010, accessed December 11, 2010 .
  5. ↑ Aiko Pras, Anna Sperotto, Giovane CM Moura, Idilio Drago, Rafael Barbosa, Ramin Sadre, Ricardo Schmidt, Rick Hofstede: Attacks by “Anonymous” WikiLeaks Proponents not Anonymous. (PDF, 738 kB) In: CTIT Technical Report 10.41. University of Twente, December 10, 2010, accessed December 12, 2010 .
  6. ^ A b "Illegality" of LOIC-Tool in UK, Germany & Netherlands? In: netzpolitik.org. December 10, 2010, accessed December 10, 2010 .
  7. ↑ Wikileaks Followers - A Retreat and New Allies. In: sueddeutsche.de . December 12, 2010, accessed December 12, 2010 .