In 2009 John Kane found a vulnerability in video poker machines that would allow him to cash out winning hands at a much higher bet amount than he actually wagered. Since it was determined that he was simply pressing buttons that he was allowed to press, he was able to keep the money.

United States v. Kane

United States v. Kane, No 11-mj-00001 (D. Nev. filed Jan. 19, 2011), is a court case where a software bug in a video poker machine was exploited to win several hundred thousand dollars. Central to the case was whether a video poker machine constituted a protected computer and whether the exploitation of a software bug constituted exceeding authorized access under Title 18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(4) of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). Ultimately, the Court ruled that the government’s argument failed to sufficiently meet the “exceeding authorized access” requirement of Title 18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(4) moving to approve the Defendants’ Motions to Dismiss.

This case is noteworthy because it followed the precedent established by the Ninth Circu… Continue Reading (6 minute read)