Clear Channel digital billboards in SoCal hax0r3d
We've gotten pretty used to seeing crashed digital billboards and signage dot the landscape, but just like regular billboards, what's really interesting is when the graffiti artists manage to get their own messages up on the big (big) screen. Looks like Clear Channel is the latest victim - 10 LA-area billboards owned by the media giant started displaying the logo of 18-year-old graffiti artist Skullphone last Thursday, slotted innocuously within the regular ad rotation. Sure, it's not quite at the anarcho-political level of the Billboard Liberation Front and their ilk, but every great leap begins with just a small step, no? Hit the read link for tons more photos.
[Via Textually.org]
[Via Textually.org]


















Grats!
0wn3d
...first, pictures of skulls, next, porn. Muahahahaha!
>_>
How about 2girls1cup? THE WHOLE WORLD SHALL EXPERIENCE IT'S WRATH (or at least the drivers in LA)
@Blaktornado
I cannot believe you are highly ranked. That video is very disgusting and sickening.
derek: you forgot 'sexy'
don't get your panties in a bunch, its a joke. stupid.
2 girls 1 cup on billboards could really help the American economy. I for one would totally run down to LA to see it in person. Think of all the money you guys would make off tourism!
And the traffic jams would stop happening; do you want to stay in an area where 2girls1cup is within your sight?
@blaktornado
Are you fucking serious? If that started playing out on the billboards next to the freeways there would be a thousand fucking accidents.
I mean that literally. A THOUSAND fucking accidents. At least.
Oh and P.S - FUCK YOU. I just about got over that video and you opened up the pain again. Nice and Fresh. You bastard.
"And the traffic jams would stop happening; do you want to stay in an area where 2girls1cup is within your sight?"
Uh... Let me think about that... YES!
Ed, you are the comical sort of person who makes splashing 2girls1cup on a billboard worthwhile.
Just kidding. Check out SWAP.avi to clear 2girls from your mind.
Derek and ed, I was only kidding. Sheeeesh.
Thanks for pissing on the bonfire.
This is just AWESOME.
Why skulls?
Why not an iPhone?
is that high effort parody? either way you're lame.
you see the skulls are holding a....ah never mind! I hate apples!
Because not everything revolves around the iPhone
Zorque, shall I fight him to the death?
You fail as a fake fanboy, way too transparent. Try again.
serious kudos to this guy. he is a genius
hell yeah, i'm jealous of how awesome this guy is. my hero
I believe this is his official website:
http://shopskullphone.com/Scripts/
http://www.skullphone.com/home.htm
MYSPACE:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=63398140
Already posted my hate for CC in today's other anti CC thread, but just noticed that their stock on wallstreet is down more than $7 today. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Hope they get a clue.
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/8696/0200624083200ta8is9.jpg
Is it as good as that one?
classic
Sickness!
Great hack = Clear Channel billboards hacked with pictures of Skulls.
BEST HACK EVER = Clear Channel billboards hacked with Sirius and XM logos.
Oh that would be oh so sweet!
Great Idea.
BEST HACK EVER: Clear Channel billboards hacked with Competitors Names and Logos like CBS Outdoor, CBS Radio and Citadel Broadcasting.
Um.. Clear Channel is a big investor of XM. They even run a few channels on XM Radio.
10 freeway in LA? but where exactly?!?!?! I wanna know!
I saw these and was wondering what this was about. The one at the corner of Olympic & Westwood as well as the one at the corner of Olympic & Sepulveda were both hacked. I'm reasonably sure that the one just down the street from Wilshire & Bundy was hacked, and I think the one at the corner of Bundy & Pico was also hacked. I see so many of these new signs driving around LA they all blend together. I didn't realize how many of these they'd put up until I just now thought about it...
I thought it said it was off the 10 as well but re-reading the post and its stating that he 'hacked' 10 billboards.
Ha, awesome. I stand by one to catch the bus home from work, I'll have to keep an eye out for the skulls.
The next billboard should be a Rick Roll.
How hard is it to have these billboards NOT be on the internet. It would be "Hack Proof" if they required physical human interaction to change the ads, instead of just pushing new ads over the 'net. But of course, Clear Channel probabily has one guy in North Dakota who runs all their billboards, just so they can pay the federal minimum wage.
F-Clear Channel.
Only a narrow-minded idiot would bash something as deliciously geeky and convenient as being able to push ads to a billboard from anywhere with an internet connection, just because a company you don't like happens to own some billboards that do it.
It would also most certainly NOT be "hack-proof" if it required a physical interface. Hell, even if the port was proprietary and the system running these was somehow magically protected by Jesus Christ Himself from hack attempts, there's still always spray paint.
"It would be "Hack Proof" if they required physical human interaction to change the ads..."
Hahaha, graf artists generally don't shy from physical interaction, dude.
I saw one of those this past weekend (somwhere in West LA, maybe on Wilshire) and figured it was hacked or some kind of viral marketing scheme.
Engadget: All the links to your old stories have broken images. Kind of deflates the impact of a story about graffiti.
Works for me.
Wow, I pass by three or four of these on my way to work and didn't notice this. I guess I've already tuned out the billboards.
Now that is cool. Props to the hacker.
Heres the video showing how they did it:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0
Is this Rick Roll thing ever going to die? I didn't even click it, but its bleeding obvious. There isn't going to be a video on how to hack billboards anyways.
It used to be pretty funny, now its just old and overused. Getting a Rick Roll on a billboard would be gold though.
And if that is a video on billboard hacking, well, sorry.
what is it with you?
still 10x funnier than doom/blend/robot comments
Didn't Family Guy Rick Roll millions of Americans when Brian sang it?
"still 10x funnier than doom/blend/robot comments"
Well since I would put doom/blend/robot comments at a 0 rating, 10x that isn't that much.
ID-10-T
I dont get it, I LOVE THAT SONG
but will it play doom :)
no, but it might protect against the hundreds of knife weilding engadgeters who are now after you
oops, was supposed to be a reply on the slash proof shirt article, edit feature, why have your forsaken meeeeeee!
Is there proof they were hacked and the guy didn't just buy ads? His site does have a store after all.
When I was in delaware, I noticed how secure one of these signs were. The support pole had a steel ring around it so no one could climb up and damage the screen. It also had something else that I have never seen before...a long pole that sticks out with a camera on the end that is focused on the screen. Pretty funny way to check out if your own billboard is hacked.
It's not necessarily to check if it's hacked, it's just to make sure that it's running properly.
The 'skullphone' myspace page claims an age of 18. The images are from skullphone.com.
But aren't myspace pages vetted as vigourously as wikipedia?
And Mr Phone, or may I call you Skull, index.html would be a good idea for those image directories ;)
Showing 2 girls 1 cup (esp. the orifice letting loose & blasting into the cup shot...ugh!!) on a billboard will cause simultaneous vomiting on the freeway LOL!!
So you know it well enough to refer to scenes huh? Wow.
oh, how do i know this? i waste my time on dorkgadget stating false facts for my pleasure, wanker.
i know this because i know this and you are an idiot.
I'd love to see Anonymous do this.
I totally forgot! I took a picture of this a few days ago! For those local, this one is on the corner of Olympic and Westwood.
http://flickr.com/photos/michaelgross/2363042890/sizes/o/
I've always wanted to know how to hack one of these.. They've been popping up all around me and I really want to know how! Are they all web based? I've heard a rumor that they use compactflash cards and stuff.
This is beautiful. Taking down Clear Channel and all that it stands for is just... I'm in awe.
We've got the same signs on I-95 in Philly, I'd love to see a complete "How-to".
This is absolutely incredible. Street art at its finest.
Skeletor prefers Meizu miniOne.
I wonder if this will become a new trend for all the other states...
Nice
blaktornado, i got even a better one
2GIRLS 1 FINGER!!!
;)
MUAHAHHAHAHAHA
i wouldn't even know where to start to hack a billboard
This was not a hack! It was a Clear Channel Outdoor PR stunt!
That sounds far more likely. I used to work for CC. Their WAN is fairly secure although I was able to see EVERYTHING across the entire country from my location (and gain access in some cases).
In order for a hack like this to happen it would most likely have been an inside job or the guy somehow gained physical access to the sign controller.
It is always possible, however, that some CC location had an unsecured WiFi network which allowed an outside attacker on their WAN. I assume they would catch that fairly quickly though...
That sounds far more likely. I used to work for CC. Their WAN is fairly secure although I was able to see EVERYTHING across the entire country from my location (and gain access in some cases).
In order for a hack like this to happen it would most likely have been an inside job or the guy somehow gained physical access to the sign controller.
It is always possible, however, that some CC location had an unsecured WiFi network which allowed an outside attacker on their WAN. I assume they would catch that fairly quickly though...
the billboards were paid for, not hacked
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/03/clear-channel-d.html
dudes, check this out: http://fffff.at/major-times-square-hack