[R.a.W][Caveman]
[03.27.92]


  [A Complete Guide to Hacking and Use of ASpEN Voice Mail Systems: Part II]
                           [Written by: Caveman]



[Introduction]

     I wrote this second text file to clarify some points that I did not
express in my last file: CAVEASP.ZIP. If you have not read that, I suggest
you do so before proceeding with this file. It is the bulk of my experience
with ASpEN voice mail systems, while this article is more issues that have
been brought to my attention since the first text file was released.


[800 Exchange: Part II]

    As stated in the first file, 800 voice mail boxes do not last for more
than a month due to the fact that each time the box is called, the system
itself foots the bill. However, Mr. Black (partner in crime) recently talked
with one of the live operators sometimes reached after numerous logon errors,
and from the information that he received, the OWNER of the box is charged
per month. A voice mail box costs approximately $6.00 per month, and on some
systems there is a 20 cent charge every time someone calls the box. Thus,
there is very little chance that your 800 box will last after the end of the
month.
     However, there are exceptions. Months after the "McGill Specialized
Carriers" voice mail system eliminated its hacker problem (Reflector,
Hellraiser, Night Ranger) the Synergist's box remained for several months.
This is an indication that:

        1] The box did not receive too many calls (and too many charges)
        2] The company owning the voice mail system was rich and did not give
           a flying fuck about the charges to the system

These cases are rare as shit and thus cannot be relied on. Although your 800
voice mailbox has the potential to last a month (if you take it over at the
beginning of the month) it is unlikely that it will last longer than that.


[ASpEN Software Upgrades]

     Just as all computer programs such as BBS software have various
intermittent upgrades to improve upon glitches and errors in the system,
ASpEN, being a computer-run software program, accordingly has come out with
numerous upgrades, although unlike BBS software upgrades which most people
get immediately after their release, the owners of the voice mail systems
could care less about upgrades, and therefore there exist a number of
different types of ASpEN voice mail systems out there. Each is different in
a small (sometimes minute) way, but some new upgrades have made it
increasingly more difficult to hack boxes. Different voice mail systems (even
though they are all running ASpEN voice mail software) may have varying (some
useful, some annoying) features.
     The first upgrades included the removal of the annoying ASpEN voice
telling the caller each time he/she calls how to leave a message, when in
reality it is so simple that my sperm could figure it out. Other smaller
additions really have no effect on the voice mail hackers at all.
     However, the real killer was the upgrade which eliminated the 3-digit
error described in CAVEASP.ZIP the first text file. This upgrade, which I
personally have encountered more and more in recent months, sets the system
up so that no longer does the ASpEN generic voice warn you when you have
dialed a 3 digit extension in which no mailboxes exist. Therefore, with this
improvement, the boxes will be more difficult to find for hackers. This
upgrade has not been installed in nearly all of the ASpEN voice mail systems
out there, but for those systems that it has been installed in, the 3-digit
error described in the last file no longer works.


[Direct Dial ASpEN Boxes]

    Once you have taken an ASpEN box over (this method also works for other
systems), you should next check to see if it may be a direct dial. It is
likely that your box is direct dial if its last four numbers of the box you
have taken begin with the same two numbers as the last four numbers of the
system itself. For instance (stay with me now) when I first hacked my box out,
I accessed the system itself, at 202-637-1897. I hacked out a box, which
started with the same two numbers as the system itself (look at the diagram
below.) By combining the prefix exchange from the voice mail system with your
personal box number, you may have a direct dial. Try calling the number, if
you reach YOUR recorded message, you got a direct dial box. Press pound (#)
from your message to access the box.

DIAGRAM:

System Number: 202-637-1897          Both the same
                       ^^ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´
My Personal Box Number: 1808              ³
                        ^^ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
My direct dial number:
Prefix exchange (202-637) + Box number (1808) = (Direct dial box) 202-637-1808

     The reasoning behind this direct dial method is the fact that the system
number that you reach is nothing more than a box on the system that has been
enabled by the system operator to reach other boxes from the system. If you
think of 202-637-1897 as nothing more than another box, and you can reach
this box directly, then therefore there must be other boxes nearby (in the
18XX range) that can also be reached directly, thus giving you a direct dial
mailbox.


[Forwarding]

     I have recently come across some ASpEN systems in which whenever a user
attempts to access a voice mail box, the familiar ASpEN computer generated
voice comes on and says "One moment please..." followed by a ringing.
Whenever you come across a system like this, leave it alone. This result
means that the system operator has integrated the ASpEN voice mail system
into a PBX resulting in a system that forwards calls to individual offices,
and the only way in which you can access the voice mailbox is if the person
is NOT in the office at the time of call. Therefore, even if you did hack a
box on this system, you or anyone else could not access or leave a message
for the box during normal business hours. Therefore, you would have to tell
everyone attempting to call your box of this condition, and a box that can
only be accessed early in the morning or at night is impractical.


[Commands: Part II]

     All of the commands once inside an ASpEN box were covered in the first
file. However, I forgot to add one set of features. These are the features
of the "send" command.
     From the main menu in the ASpEN box, the features (explained in first
file) are send, check receipts, personal options, restart, and disconnect. I
went into great detail about all of these options, except for send. Send is
the option used to send messages from your box to another box on the voice
mail system, say if you have an amigo on the same system as yourself. After
completeing the message, the ASpEN voice will say:

                "Send message now, press pound (#). More
                options, press zero."

The commands offered by pressing zero at this prompt are as follows:

(Note: All commands below in quotes are exactly what the ASpEN computer voice
will ask or tell you.)

[MORE OPTIONS MENU]

"Private, press 1" - This will tag your message as "private", meaning
                    that if the person receiving the message has assigned multiple passwords and given his/her
                    friends access to the box, only the owner of the
                    box will receive this message. Usually not necessary
                    if the owner of the box is the only user of the
                    box.

"Urgent, press 2" - This feature is only used if the owner of the box that
                    you are sending the message to has activated the
                    notification feature of the box (see CAVEASP.ZIP) If so,
                    a couple of minutes after you leave the message on the
                    person's box, the system will call their house with the
                    message. Of course, only used in "urgent" situations.

"Confirmation, press 3" - This is message confirmation (see CONFIRMATION
                    SUBMENU)

"Future Delivery, press 4" - (see FUTURE DELIVERY SUBMENU)


[CONFIRMATION SUBMENU]

"Message Confirmation, press 1" - This feature will send you a notice of
                    confirmation stating that the message you sent was indeed
                    received. When the message is listened to by the person
                    you sent the message to, the next time you logon to your
                    box, the system will tell you:

                        "Your message to [NAME] sent [DATE SENT] at [TIME
                        SENT] was received [DATE RECEIVED] at [TIME RECEIVED].
                        To repeat confirmation, press 1, to continue, press 2"

                    This computer message will be given to you immediatly
                    when you logon to your box, before you may listen to any
                    messages waiting for you.

"Notification of Non-Receipt, press 2" - This option sends a message back to
                    you after a period of 20 days if the message you sent has
                    not been received.


[FUTURE DELIVERY SUBMENU]

"Specify Date of Future Delivery, press 1" - This enables you to specify what
                    date your message is sent to its destination. You will do
                    this through use of your telephone touchpad.

"Spell Day of the Week, press 2" - This option allows you to designate the
                    day of the week that the message will be sent on. You
                    will enter the first two letters of the day of the week
                    from your touchtone telephone pad for this feature.


Keep in mind that any command described above can be cancelled at any time
by pressing the star (*) key.


[Disclaimer]

     Anything written in this file was written for informational purposes
only, which make it easier for you to hack an ASpEN box for yourself. However
this was not the intention of the author. I claim no responsibility for the
actions taken by anyone reading this article who is slow enough to actually
get caught by any kind of law enforcement agency.


[Bullshit]

If you STILL have questions or comments after reading this, go FUCK yourself.
I have explained everything possible in this article. However, if you still
got something to say, you can reach me (Caveman) at 202-637-1808, or
301-921-3361.


[PEACE]

SHOUTS OUT TO:

Mr. Black [Partner in Crime]
Tomellicas
Nat X
G-Spot
Albatross


[The Boards]

Legion [202][Will be back]
The Empire [301]
Nat's Atomic Dregg Bin [301]
Solsbury Hill [301]


Copyright 1992 [R.a.W] Productions. All Rights Reserved.
{PEACE OUT}