Comcast caught hijacking traffic

[wraith808]

The code is on github.  The original article is on the guys blog who caught it here.

Discussion on ycombinator.

Not only is it underhanded, it's also sucky code.  I just wish I could get anything but Comcast around here.  I'm not a high bandwidth user, so I wouldn't get it from that.  But I've had it happen before when their stupid account management system didn't record my payment.

[Deozaan]

This is news? I thought all ISPs did this to give you "courtesy" notices about your account.

[wraith808]

This is news? I thought all ISPs did this to give you "courtesy" notices about your account.

Even if everyone does it, it's still bad... (and the code really sucks... does the equivalent of a DoS by the number of AJAX requests).

[40hz]

Anything that unnecessarily initiates web requests and increases your data usage when you're applying data caps and usage overage fees smacks of fraud.

Of course, Comcast will simply claim "Oops! Bad coding - my bad!" and probably be allowed to walk away with little more than a 'stern' talking to, a slap on the wrist, and a relatively minor fine.

Problem is, nobody in the web world (who is providing online anything) will be very anxious to point the finger or start screaming about Comcast since the amount of flaky, poorly written 'request' code very likely accounts for a significant portion of today's overall web traffic.

So the last thing anybody using Ajax or related technologies wants is to be held accountable for whatever unnecessary bandwidth they chew up. Bandwidth that the average Internet subscriber ultimately gets stuck paying for.

Like the holy writ says: Judge not lest ye be judged."

[attach]

[wraith808]

And, in the give them an inch department:
ISP Advertisement Injection - CMA Communications


And the big thing I'm worried about, especially with such sucky coders, is a man-in-the-middle attack, courtesy of your ISP.

[x16wda]

a man-in-the-middle attack, courtesy of your ISP

That's not a man in the middle, that's an inside job!