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| Target stores attacked by pornographic pranksters | Target stores attacked by pornographic pranksters |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Gina Young was shopping at US superstore Target on Thursday morning - when she and the other shoppers suddenly heard a surprising announcement over the loudspeaker. | Gina Young was shopping at US superstore Target on Thursday morning - when she and the other shoppers suddenly heard a surprising announcement over the loudspeaker. |
| Explicit audio from a pornographic film was blasted out for all to hear. And it kept playing. And playing. For 15 minutes. | |
| Young, who was shopping with her three-year-old twin boys, uploaded the clip to Facebook. (Obvious warning: it has rude audio.) | Young, who was shopping with her three-year-old twin boys, uploaded the clip to Facebook. (Obvious warning: it has rude audio.) |
| "People were up in arms," she wrote. "Some people threw their things down and walked out. Others were yelling at employees." | "People were up in arms," she wrote. "Some people threw their things down and walked out. Others were yelling at employees." |
| As pranks go, it's fairly low-grade. But Target has a problem. Staff at the store in Campbell, a small city just south of San Jose, were all but powerless to stop it due to how the PA system is designed. | As pranks go, it's fairly low-grade. But Target has a problem. Staff at the store in Campbell, a small city just south of San Jose, were all but powerless to stop it due to how the PA system is designed. |
| And it's not an isolated incident. According to local media, it's at least the fourth time this prank has happened since April. In one instance, a store had to be evacuated. | |
| So what's going on? Are mischievous staff causing trouble? Have Target's systems been hacked? | So what's going on? Are mischievous staff causing trouble? Have Target's systems been hacked? |
| 'Control of the intercom' | 'Control of the intercom' |
| Well not quite - but the cause is interesting, and yet another example of how systems are left with vulnerabilities by creators who never imagined people might have malicious intent. | Well not quite - but the cause is interesting, and yet another example of how systems are left with vulnerabilities by creators who never imagined people might have malicious intent. |
| An email obtained by the BBC, sent by company bosses to Target store managers across the US on Friday afternoon, outlines a weakness in the store's PA system being used to carry out the prank. | An email obtained by the BBC, sent by company bosses to Target store managers across the US on Friday afternoon, outlines a weakness in the store's PA system being used to carry out the prank. |
| I've removed a key detail for obvious reasons. | I've removed a key detail for obvious reasons. |
| "Non-Target team members are attempting to access the intercom system by calling stores and requesting to be connected to line [xxxx]," it reads. | "Non-Target team members are attempting to access the intercom system by calling stores and requesting to be connected to line [xxxx]," it reads. |
| "If connected, callers have control of the intercom until they hang up. | "If connected, callers have control of the intercom until they hang up. |
| "We are actively working to limit intercom access to the Guest Services phone only. In the meantime, inform all operators to not connect any calls to line [xxxx]." | "We are actively working to limit intercom access to the Guest Services phone only. In the meantime, inform all operators to not connect any calls to line [xxxx]." |
| So in other words, if you ring up Target and ask to be put through to a certain extension, you're suddenly live on the PA system for as long as you like. | So in other words, if you ring up Target and ask to be put through to a certain extension, you're suddenly live on the PA system for as long as you like. |
| Hardly the hack of the century, granted, but a reminder that there are people out there that will find even the most obscure vulnerabilities and exploit them. | Hardly the hack of the century, granted, but a reminder that there are people out there that will find even the most obscure vulnerabilities and exploit them. |
| Red faces | Red faces |
| Target's spokeswoman Molly Snyder would not confirm the authenticity of the email, but told the BBC: "We are actively reviewing the situation with the team to better understand what happened and are taking steps to help ensure this doesn't happen again. | |
| "Because this is an active investigation, I'm unable to share additional details, but we want our guests to know that we take this very seriously." | "Because this is an active investigation, I'm unable to share additional details, but we want our guests to know that we take this very seriously." |
| Target should be acutely aware of weak systems. The retailer was at the centre of a huge hack attack storm last year. | |
| Some 40m shoppers had their banking details stolen, and the company ended up paying out $10m (£6.5m) in compensation. | |
| There is little danger of any repercussions over this porn prank - just a few red faces. And perhaps some suddenly very inquisitive children. | There is little danger of any repercussions over this porn prank - just a few red faces. And perhaps some suddenly very inquisitive children. |
| Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC | Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC |
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