How to Break into BBs Express

Breaking into BBS Express Courtesy of the Jolly Roger

If you have high enough access on any BBS Express BBS you can get the Sysop's password without any problems and be able to log on as him and do whatever you like. Download the Pass file, delete the whole BBS, anything. Its all a matter of uploading a text file and d/ling it from the BBS. You must have high enough access to see new uploads to do this. If you can see a file you just uploaded you have the ability to break into the BBS in a few easy steps.

Why am I telling everyone this when I run BBS Express myself? Well there is one way to stop this from happening and I want other Sysops to be aware of it and not have it happen to them.

Breaking in is all based on the MENU function of BBS Express. Express will let you create a menu to display different text files by putting the word MENU at the top of any text file and stating what files are to be displayed. But due to a major screw up by Mr. Ledbetter you can use this MENU option to display the USERLOG and the Sysop's Passwords or anything else you like. I will show you how to get the Sysop's pass and therefore log on as the Sysop. BBs Express Sysop's have 2 passwords. One like everyone else gets in the form of X1XXX, and a Secondary password to make it harder to hack out the Sysops pass.
The Secondary pass is found in a file called SYSDATA.DAT.
This file must be on drive 1 and is therefore easy to get. All you have to do is upload this simple Text file:

MENU
1
D1:SYSDATA.DAT

Ripoff time!
after you upload this file you d/l it non-Xmodem. Stupid Express thinks it is displaying a menu and you will see this:
Ripoff time!
Selection [0]:

Just hit 1 and Express will display the SYSDATA.DAT file.OPPASS is where the Sysop's Secondary pass will be. D1:USERLOG.DAT is where you will find the name and Drive number of the USERLOG.DAT file. The Sysop might have renamed this file or put it in a Subdirectory or even on a different drive. I Will Assume he left it as D1:USERLOG.DAT. The other parts of this file tell you where the .HLP screens are and where the LOG is saved and all the Download path names.

Now to get the Sysop's primary pass you upload a text file like this:
MENU
1
D1:USERLOG.DAT

Breaking into Bedwetter's BBS

Again you then d/l this file non-Xmodem and you will see:

Breaking into Bedwetter's BBS

Selection [0]:

You then hit 1 and the long USERLOG.DAT file comes flying at you. The Sysop is the first entry in this very long file so it is easy. You will see:
SYSOP'S NAME X1XXX
You should now have his 2 passwords.

There is only one easy way out of this that I can think of, and that is to make all new uploads go to SYSOP level (Level 9) access only. This way nobody can pull off what I just explained.

I feel this is a major Bug on Mr. Ledbetter's part. I just don't know why no one had thought of it before. I would like to give credit to Redline for the message he left on Modem Hell telling about this problem, and also to Unka for his ideas and input about correcting it.

This has been brought to you from [_The_Piper_] and the S.O.D. BBS Network!

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