Phreaking COSMOS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- COSMOS is Bell's computer for handling information on customer lines, special services on lines, and orders to change line equipment, disconnect lines, etc. COSMOS stands for Computerized System for Mainframe Operations. It is based on the UNIX operating system and, depending upon the COSMOS and upon your access, has some, many, or no UNIX standard commands. COSMOS is powerful, but there is no reason to be afraid of it. This article will give some of the basic, pertinent info on how users get in, account format, and a few other goodies. Password Identification =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- To get onto COSMOS you need a dialup, account, password, and wire center (WC). Wire centers are two letter codes that tell what section of the COSMOS you are in. There are different WC's f or different areas and groups of exchanges. Examples are PB, SR, LK, et c. Sometimes there are accounts that have no password; obviously such accounts are the easiest to hack. Checking It Out =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Let's suppose you have a COSMOS number which you obtained one way or another. The first thing to do would be to make sure it is really a COSMOS system, not some other Bell or AT&T computer. To do this, you would call it and connect your modem,, then hit some returns until you got a response. It should say: ';LOGIN:' or 'NAME:'. If you enter some garbage it should say: 'PASSWORD:'. If you hit a return and it says 'WC?', it is a COSMOS system. If it says something like 'TA%' then you're in business. If it doesn't do any of the above, then it is either some other kind of system, or, if you're not getting anything at all, the dialup has probably gone bad. Getting In =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- COSMOS has certain accounts that are usually on the system, one of which might not have a password. They consist of ROOT (most powerful and almost always on the system), SYS (second most powerful, still many privileges), BIN (a little less power), PREOP (a little less), and COSMOS (hardly any privileges, like a normal user). The way to tell if they have passwords is by entering accounts at the ';LOGIN:' or ' NAME:' prompt, and if it jumps straight to 'WC?', all you need is a WC to get in. But suppose all of the accounts have passwords? You have two choices. You can try to hack the password and WC to one of the above accounts. I won't deal with this method, as is self-explanatory. Or you can do something I find much easier...call the COSMOS during business hours and hope that someone forgot to log off. Keep calling until when you connect and hit return until you get a 'WC%' prompt. 'WC' is the WC that the account you found is currently in. You are now in! What to Do while on-line =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The first thing you want to do is write down the WC you are in. Only on our first login it is a good idea to print everything or dump everything to a buffer. Commands =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 'WCFLDS'(!) : Should list all WC's. 'WHO' : Should print everyone currently logged on the system, giving some accounts. 'TTY' : Tells what terminal port you are on. 'WHERE' : Should tell the location of the COSMOS installation. 'WHAT' : Tells what version of COSNIX, COSMOS's operating system, it is. 'LS *' : Prints all the files you have access to. 'CD /dir' : Connects you to the directory '/dir'. 'CAT filename ' : Prints the file 'filename'. 'Q' : Quits the editor. CTRL- Y. : Logs off 'TAT' : Sometimes prints a little help file. 'ISH' : Check someone's telefone #, type 'ISH' at the COSMOS 'WC%' prompt. Then type. 'HTN XXX-XXXX' : (Hunt Telephone Number) to tell you about the local number you are interested in. 'CAT /ETC/PASSWD': Prints out the password file, if you have access. The passwords are almost always encrypted, but you get a list of all the accounts. If you are lucky, one of the lines will have two colons after the account name. This means there is no prompt from the ';LOGIN:' or 'NAME:' prompts when you enter that account. To run a file just type the name followed by a return. When the system gives you a '-', you type a '.', and it will type all kinds of info on the phone number you entered (in Bell abbreviations, of course). If it is not a good exchange, it will say something to that effect. You type a period to end the ISH. If you wish to learn more information about COSMOS, find yourself a COSMOS manual or look at future issues of 2600. A UNIX manual would also be helpful for standard UNIX commands.