DMG File

**BOB IROC** · January 13th, 2004, 12:11 PM

Ok Brains here is a good one for you. Is there any way of opening a dmg file on a PC. According to http://filext.com the file is a disk image file for Mac OS X. I need to see the contents of this file because A student has it on his personal storage space and we suspect him of hacking in the system. I would use it on the mac lab, but we do not have OS X installed which I believe is required to use this file. I would also like to view this file on a PC so I can generate a report for the Deans and Police if necessary. Thank you.

**DocPC** · January 13th, 2004, 12:22 PM

I think you can view a .dmg in OS 9 as well.

**shamus** · January 13th, 2004, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by DocPC

I think you can view a .dmg in OS 9 as well.

Wrongo Gramps....not an OS X .dmg
the only thing I found that may work is MacOpener. An evaluation copy can be found here...
you'll have to download Ephpod too.
I know it talks about music files but if you search Google for the paid for ver. of MacOpener, it opens more than just music files.
Good Luck.

**Grateful_Dad** · January 14th, 2004, 01:05 PM

If you dont' have a computer on the system that can open it or execute it or whatever - how can the student "hacker" open it ? It cant do any damage as is.

**Stalemate** · January 14th, 2004, 01:14 PM

Have you checked the file's properties and hex code?

It may just be a renamed file extension.

**BOB IROC** · January 14th, 2004, 02:59 PM

I understand that the file may be renamed, but his actions are being investigated and I was instructed to try and see the contents of the file by the police and by my boss. I told him that it is a MAC file extension, but the student doesnt have any access to the MAC lab (all computers runnin OS 9.2) and supposedly doesnt have a mac at home. I still need to try and open the file. I am trying to get a copy of either MacOpener or ConversionsPlus from my Boss, but he doesnt want to spend money if he doesnt have to. Even though that program could prove useful in the future.

**Stalemate** · January 14th, 2004, 04:26 PM

I'm trying to wrap my head around this.

There is a student suspected of hacker activity.
A file with an extension of DMG has been found in the hard disk space alloted him. (What is the size of that file, BTW?)
He has not had access to a Mac and may not have one at home either.
He did not volunteer that it was a Mac image file, you told him it was. How did you have that confirmed?
You need to take a look inside it.

I think that's about it, right?

My suggestion that the file in question may have been renamed has not been ruled out, as far as I can tell. If it is a bogus extension, the file will not be a Mac image, but could be anything else (.zip, .tar, .gz, .exe, .html, etc.).

Using a hex editor willl let you take a look inside and give you at least a shot at figuring out the nature of the file.

Here are some free ones, if you need them:
http://www.hhdsoftware.com/hexeditor.html
http://www.chmaas.handshake.de/delph...vi32/xvi32.htm

**BOB IROC** · January 14th, 2004, 04:39 PM

Yup. You got the Idea. THe file is pretty big 150MB and it tried to rename it to many extensions including zip, rar, exe, iso, img etc... I suspect it to be a program or many files wrapped up neatly into an image file. I looked on the internet at http://www.filext.com and that told me that the file is associated to a mac and is the equilivant of an img file on a PC. I will try the links you provided. I need this info to really bust this kid because he was caught using an IP trace utility earlier in the year and if any of the information inside this file relates to hacking, he is going to jail since he is 17. Even if this is a piece of software in that image he can still be busted for copyright if he can't prove he owns licensing for that software. I just want this kid out of my school because he is pretty sneaky and seems to know his way around computer back doors. I wanna be the only hacker in the building.

**confus-ed** · January 14th, 2004, 06:36 PM

By the sounds of it he's at least one step in front of you anyway .. & with your 'gloating' I hope he stays that way

Personally I think it a bit 'lame' that you express 'glee' over the fact that a 17 year old might go to prison over running an ip trace & being in possesion of a 'suspicious file' ... sad !

Its certainly how I read BOB IROC's last reply

**DocPC** · January 14th, 2004, 06:40 PM

Send me the damned thing and I'll burn it to a cd for ya........I have OSX on 2 machines at home....

**BOB IROC** · January 14th, 2004, 07:49 PM

You lnow what confus-ed, that is isnt gloating, but yeah maybe he has been a step ahead in the past, but this is my first year managing the network at the school and if you want this student's track record, I'll be happy to get it for you. He has been busted for using other students logins and teacher logins, vandalism and theft of computer equipment, and he has tried to hack the system for grades and attendance to name a few. All he has gotten is a slap on the hand in the past. I am not sure what you do for a living, but it is very easy for a student be sneaky when the ratio is 2800 of them to 1 of me. What's sad is that I have to find means of watching them on the computers so they do not abuse them. I am not saying that all the students do, but many of them do. Granted most violations are like playing video games and sending email or text messages to friends. When you work in an educational institution, you expect the computers to be used for educational purposes. Now you may think I am mean for worrying about piddly stuff like games, but it is like the old saying, "Give 'em an inch, and they'll take a mile". I do not by any means find any pleasure in putting this kid in prison or out of the school. The last comment about me being the only hacker was intended to be a joke and maybe it shouldnt have been said. But enough of defending myself. Maybe I should just close the thread if I am going to be insulted. Thanks to those that left serious replys.

**confus-ed** · January 15th, 2004, 04:52 AM

Originally Posted by BOB IROC

... The last comment about me being the only hacker was intended to be a joke and maybe it shouldnt have been said. But enough of defending myself. Maybe I should just close the thread if I am going to be insulted. Thanks to those that left serious replys.

Well you did say it yourself

... sounds to me like a failure of the education system if this kid is bright enough to be 'hacking' (whatever folks say about 'script kiddies' is does take a degree of 'brightness'), I guess as a network admin/manager your 'goals' are different somewhat to an 'educator' ...

Which seems to me a fair place to leave it ...

**BOB IROC** · January 15th, 2004, 10:31 AM

Well I took the file in question home last nite and brought it over to my friends house who has a Mac with OS 10.2. Made the CD since it was an MAC image file and the contents turned out to be a multitude of things. He had viruses that were ZIPPED up along with IP extraction utilities and many other programs in a folder labled hacking utilities. I turned the disc over to the proper authorities this morning. And we spoke with the student and he confessed that he knew the contents of the file all along, but didn't think we would be able to open it. In response to your comment about the education system, that is partially true. However, the school I work at seems to be the only one that lets students act this way. The 2 other high schools in the district seem to be more strict and teachers and staff play an active role in making sure the kids are doing what they are supposed to be doing. Thanks for you help as usual though.

**Stalemate** · January 15th, 2004, 11:56 AM

So I guess it wasn't a renamed file after all.

Glad you managed to accomplish your objective.

**ISBB** · January 15th, 2004, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by a d e p t

So I guess it wasn't a renamed file after all.

Glad you managed to accomplish your objective.

and to think the network admin at my school didnt know squat... especially when i found NWADMIN wide out in the open un protected on the schools network... what makes it even worse is the teachers grading programs was wide out in the open... all it took was a kid with the knowledge how to surf around the network and find what he did... needless to say i went to the principle later that afternoon and told him bout what i found.... within 3 months the place was sealed up tighter than a dolphins butt... WATER TIGHT...

As far as this kid goes... hes just like me... seeing how far he can get before he gets in too much trouble... then again i did get suspended for sending a county wide novell mass message containing some profain gestures...

... DOH... ohh well young dumb and nothin else better to do...