Oddity Archive: Episode 32 - The EAS Zombie Hoax of 2013

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We at the Archive were getting requests for this one starting the day after it happened. Wanting to have time for a full investigation to occur (if not the case getting solved), we held off. We can hold off no more...

[@AMVpurgatory]

I kid you not; my crazy-as-balls grandmother-in-law called us in a state of panic after hearing this alert on television and told us to look it up online to find out more information.

[@spencerh8426]

did she get hurt when this happened? Seriously, I'm actually worried! 0.0

[@xxhalfemptyxx7713]

hello

[@AMVpurgatory]

@@xxhalfemptyxx7713 Um... Hello?

[@JediDante]

the max headroom guy is shitting his pants in laughter right now

[@GiovanniCloud]

Ohhhh. Look at these nerds. Ohh. Who do they think they are trying to one up me? Ohhhh. Wannabee hijackers that turned into even bigger nerds! Ohhhh. My piles!!!

[@NodDisciple1]

PhillyCloud1234 Da da da da...there's the X...da da da da da da da da!

[@mylesmccloud8746]

+Brother Malachai Catch the wave you wannabes for your love is fading while they're coming to get me. Ohhhhh. freaking liberals!

[@onihaiena6152]

He's a fricking nerd.

[@JL-sm6cg]

OHHHHH! HIS PILES!

[@Dweather]

There's actually an interesting story surrounding the Anthrax sample mentioned at 8:22. If you think the voice used in the broadcast and the voice in the song shown moments after sound really different, it's because they are. The voice used in the broadcast originates from an upload by a user named Tyreehot. ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGeolaGcfaiJe9E ) According to Tyreehot in the comments of his uploads, Anthrax used his audio without his permission and after he reached out, they re-recorded the intro. The Tyreehot version still exists online and seems to have become the one heard at live shows, if they play the intro at all. ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKunnpqkYqxlfK8 ) Though the hackers probably just looked up something provocative for the sake of it, I like to imagine it's just as probable that they really were some wild Anthrax fans. It's a fascinating coincidence and makes for a great cutaway gag.

[@diclicer6946]

So what you're saying is that Anthrax copied the hackers?

[@racinggamesonly5466]

@@diclicer6946 I'm thinking they copied the original mock eas user which is what the hackers also used so he basically got his content stolen by 2 people

[@Kurzov]

Wow, interesting

[@missbleach8767]

The Weather Channel

[@thecartoonboy9999]

Plot Twist: This guy was the Max Headroom guy all along

[@nah456]

that would be amazing if it were true!

[@ladonnathomas4573]

cAtCh tHe wAvE

[@klinkov6393]

C A T C H T H E W A V E

[@carloszubia3033]

How max headroom was like 20 or 30 In 1987 and now he would be 60 or 70

[@gmdglavine1211]

C A T C H T H E W A V E

[@R0ck4x3]

Can you blame them for being Anthrax fans, Anthrax is fucking awesome

[@ScrotusXL]

👍yessss, respect bro!

[@Sumpweizsik]

12:50 - Barney Theme is scary enough to be an EAS on its own right.

[@Andregrindle]

I am truly surprised that with the endless supply of hacking potential with the internet age that more TV hijackings haven't taken place in the post analog era. Perhaps its a synergy of easy availability and higher penalties. I am really not sure. That is an oddity in itself,especially for someone such as myself with little to no expertise on such matters.

[@ellusivegman]

I know what you mean. I don't know about you but I would love to see more tv hijackings. TV is pretty boring as it is.

[@hes_alive]

Well, I read that TV hijackings were very common in Spain by the ETA a group of Basque terrorists/freedom fighters (depending on your point of view) during their more active moments in the 90s. Given the veeeery broad scope of powers given by the PATRIOT Act, it's always possible that a hijacker is slapped with a potential "Terrorism" charge and end up in some cell for an indeterminate amount of time in Guantanamo Bay or Camp Yankee. Too scary to for hackers to even risk it.

[@SnabbKassa]

Car makers have toyed with the idea of software enabled upgrades on cars, where you pay to have them enabled. Madness, because an industry of hackers will spring up instead.

[@steadfastcoward]

The FCC later made transmissions of the EAS tones without an emergency (some advertisers incorporated these tones) illegal and started fining the partied responsible.

[@Fuzy2K]

4:53 -- Bodies of the dead? Who cares, I want PANCAKES! :D

[@Fuzy2K]

***** Hahaha XD

[@norbertop.niebres6320]

I want Pancakes with Maple Syrup.

[@patfalagi5062]

Ok this guy is perfectly talented

[@mylesmccloud8746]

Ben, the message from the beginning of the Anthrax song actually existed in 2008 for a fake EAS zombie warning as a Halloween prank, even the up-loader was surprised that hackers chose his message for their prank in 2013. Video ID: /watch?v=F6EdnfHCVEo

[@tylermartin3709]

hm interesting never knew that

[@trerolandscreations5989]

Ben, did you know that in September 2012, the Disney Channel was interrupted on Dish Network by hardcore porn?

[@scooterwearssocks]

It was a Disney Jr rerun of Handy Manny, which makes it even better

[@PhilMante]

It was kinda payback - in 1987, the playboy channel was hacked by a CBN techie. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5bFepuerdqUZ80

[@norbertop.niebres6320]

Disney Channel, how could you?? I thought you are a wholesome, family friendly venture. Shame. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@stormthewolf9988]

I need a vid of this

[@mariomastermunkin734]

Tré Roland's Creations The super bowl in Arizona on NBC was hijacked by the same thing as well.

[@alfrankensteinfeldman]

Zombies must must love trashy television at graveyard slots...

[@zergscaper4714]

William DeMarco Ahhh. I get it.

[@zergscaper4714]

William DeMarco Ahhh. I get it.

[@NodDisciple1]

William DeMarco Well, they are literally mindless and brain-dead. :P

[@gumballguy34]

+Brother Malachai Honorary like

[@alfrankensteinfeldman]

***** Hmph. Liar liar, plants for hire!

[@Jordan-nd1cw]

Now in OUR era, zombies are "extremely dangerous" in Australia! Thanks, Matt Yarnold! (ba dum tsssshhhh) I'm so bad...

[@AliasUndercover]

How does this guy not have a job.? These are freaking great!

[@AliasUndercover]

Good Lord! It's been 7 years? Ben is still great at these.

[@mecrumbly429___4]

He's a frickin nerd!

[@SnabbKassa]

KZbin is a job. Nobody saw that 9 years ago.

[@Robdeltonie]

I told my digital audio instructor about the La Crosse, WI thing (and I live in Wisconsin!) as he is familiar with radio and the EAS. Apparently, according to his knowledge at least, it is highly likely the FCC fined that radio station for setting off the EAS, even though it was completely accidental!

[@mr.bobcyndaquil4214]

For some things, you are never allowed to fuck up. The EAS is one of those.

[@SarafinaSummers]

Probably around $10000 to $1000000

[@Lethaltail]

"FAT" -TV 2013

[@delusionnnnn]

Rigor mortis is a temporary condition. Being dead isn't.

[@ongansan]

Plot twist: This guy is the Max Headroom hijacker.

[@NodDisciple1]

Ongan-San If only. If only.

[@nobuenozone3629]

Where can I get that perfect pancake lol

[@voxlvalyx]

I remember this. I laughed way too hard at it, though I got it in Kalamazoo, Michigan (southwest Michigan). Make of that what you will, I guess. Also. that fake IP didn't conform to the standards. There can't be a number higher than 255 in any of the octets. Also, an IP with a beginning octet of 36 would be from china.

[@iaincowell9747]

max headroom was a real wtf. zombie attack is just unimaginative and lame.

[@PassiveDestroyer]

Anyone have a theory on the 36.243.636.243 IP address, at 8:16? My theory is that it's a reference to the "perfect" bust-hip-waist size of 36-24-36, as referenced in the Commodores' song "Brick House". So either that station got really spoofed, or their "investigator" made a number up. Also, excellent work on the EAS "intrusions" in this episode.

[@bunnybismuth]

Not to mention that the third section of that IP is impossible

[@astroknott5263]

I kinda wanna buy a perfect pancake now

[@NodDisciple1]

4:29 Oh God, it's already started! There's already zombies in the audience and on the stage! :-0 5:23 Oh Lordy, they're invading The Bachelor!

[@ThunderFist1978]

No sitting down for me tonight! I laughed my ass off! Well done, good sir. You just got yourself a subscriber.

[@TimelordR]

Zombies, eh? Could have been worse, could have been WW3...

[@JohnVKaravitis]

BEAUTIFUL! America continues to innovate, even in such fields as broadcast piracy! LMFAO!

[@JordanBahrPian-UkePlayer]

3:55 that's Tim McGonigal! He was a news director at KTVO (The station I work at now) before moving to Montana! Fun to watch!

[@tomrow32]

the national troll service tts sounds like the Microsoft agent genie

[@edgarmartinez7371]

It is actually TruVoice Peter (Adult Male 1 (or Radar Overseer Scotty in the text-to-speech)).

[@LuigiGodzillaGirl]

Everything about this episode was brilliant!

[@allegiant001]

Someone: What did you watch when the Attack started? Me: A pancake commercial.

[@jlstv5059]

Who else finds that hijack freaky, just imagine a kid hearing that

[@EQuivalentTube2]

Ah, I was hoping the "Senes working overtime" come back as the show theme.

[@dylaninpieces2]

"Civil authorities in your area have reported that the bodies of the dead are rising from their graves and attacking the living. They've also reported that they're giving away free pancakes at the local shelters."

[@thepeternetwork]

Every time I see the Max Headroom guy, I get scared.

[@nickzproductions]

rigor mortis is only a temporary state in dead bodies, it wears off eventually.

[@tomrow32]

Bonzi buddy runs the national troll service?

[@RetroCheater81]

Dude, that thumbnail looks exactly like a zombie. NAILED IT!

[@crunchmoovingpictures1329]

I lived in Marquette at the time. Was hella funny to see happen. Please don't ask why I was watching the bachelor.

[@someguy.247]

The audio from the hack was from a video posted back in 2008 from the user tyreehot wich the hackers used in the hack.

[@7272nighthawk]

The scary thing is there are people that believe Zombies can be real

[@Kiddcade]

Zombies ARE real. Heavily-drugged people, who had been reported dead and in some cases buried. Dug up and used as a slave-race.

[@HuskyGamersUNITE]

You've never been to Florida have you?

[@nicholsjoshua15]

They can be real, just not The Walking Dead kind of zombies. 28 Day Later is the most realistic followed closely by The Last Of us.

[@260lp]

Joshua true

[@benjamingreenwood7370]

Oh my gosh, I used to live in La Crosse Wisconsin!!! Why didn't I hear of it? ...oh yeah... I wasn't living there :c

[@HoHSiS]

TIMEMARK LIST watch entire 1-minute-long intro (0:00) cut to the chase (1:03) skip to end (15:55)

[@MikeDest]

4:35 ＴＥＣＨＮＯＬＯＧＹ ＹＯＵ ＣＡＮ ＣＯＵＮＴ ＯＮ

[@pupsthemechanic]

Well, quality content earns subscribers. You have quality content so you have earned me as a subscriber.

[@UndeadSchizophrenicProductions]

And if there was a real zombie outbreak, people would think it was a prank

[@PajamaFrix]

The voice message heard in the hijack was actually from a KZbin video from about 10 years ago (as of typing this comment)

[@ZyxthePest]

YOU FLIP, BUT THEY FLOP

[@TheSwordsmanInBlack]

YOU FILP, BUT THEY FOLP

[@TymphaRedbreaduwuowo]

Rigor mortis is only temporary goes away

[@Gypsy-Tongue]

Reminds me of the False alarm if ‘71

[@Juonsteel456]

that voice sounds like one of the voices or radio guys from the road of the dead game

[@Ratiosaurus]

well, maybe this awkward unrhythmic editing is intentional - it would certainly match with the whole theme of the channel. If so, then accept my apologies. But still I didn't say I don't like it - on the contrary. And damn your voice is nice :)

[@Sumpweizsik]

Anyone else here after the EAS got hijacked again on 9/21/2017, this time in Orange County?

[@RetroCheater81]

Thanks for the Spodermen voice

[@astrojazzman]

"When there is no more room in hell the dead will walk the earth" - Dawn of the Dead

[@contentcreatorman]

the audio used in the "hack" actually comes from a video uploaded on this very site in 2008: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGeolaGcfaiJe9E

[@johnedwards484]

Oh no Mr. Bill it's the zombie apocalypse.

[@ScrotusXL]

PANCAKES!!!!!

[@emanuelsullivan182]

Pancakes I like pancakes

[@Thompsonnw]

Hey Ben! I think whoever hacked the eas has been watching too much walking dead.

[@melasnexperience]

The way the alert sound is just a little too long drives me nuts. Also, I appreciate that they kept interrupting mostly reality TV dreck - maybe they were a vigilante for good taste!

[@christophersalankey3554]

The Max Headroom incident. Somehow, someway that stupid "ordeal" has endured. Ohhhh, my piles!!!! Funny the first and second time. A third time would be overkill I think.

[@gspendlove]

If I had been involved with this, it would've been giant spiders, not zombies.

[@luisreyes1963]

PACKERS!! 🤪

[@gspendlove]

@@luisreyes1963 🤣 I understood that reference.

[@SarafinaSummers]

How can the zoo crew not know their station is a PEP? Seriously, how?

[@ComradeRachel]

im cerious how many renecks were like holly shit its happening, joe get the shot guns! we prepared for this ! XD

[@random.comedy1997]

FrostyExchange I hate u

[@venangoproductions]

I’m getting a SAGE Endec soon, but I’ll only use it to decode messages

[@mikemayberry7121]

I'm with you. My local broadcasters seem to be really lazy and/or bad at their jobs.

[@tomrow32]

13:20 wow bonzi really is a creep

[@awesomefeeling38983]

My PEP is KCBS-AM (or how Xfinity says: KCBSKFRC).

[@ethanengelking2492]

La crosse is a city nearby the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin

[@drunkenprol]

this video makes me hungry for pancakes

[@XaneMyers]

That message is funny...just for one how it sounds and two, once you hear it's from the beginning of a song! Ifonly there was a second "alert" system that anyone could hack without consequences...that'd be fun.

[@dathardscopetho2459]

the eas hackers really want us to build barriers on our doors don't they....

[@ControlledSprite144]

The same thing happened on my local cw my family was watching the same show

[@random.comedy1997]

12:36 I DIED 😂

[@thebartguy1686]

Happened on my 10th birthday. Why on Feb 11th?

[@AndrewTeeltheBBandLalaLover101]

12:49 Barney I love you tune

[@imrustyokay]

methinks ol' benny boy's a libertarian.

[@Tornado1994]

He’s a Bluedog.

[@archaeopteryxgallopade2199]

Speaking of MST3K, you can see crows head in the Manos clip in the intro

[@venangoproductions]

I’m going to make a video on the subject as well

[@seanwilkinson3975]

Does anyone know why the presenter kept his face hidden all the time, and why he had such a *sigh!* world-weary vocal delivery? Otherwise, I love this channel!

[@wildbilltexas]

It sounded to me like a voice synthesizer. A lot of weather stations use them.

[@steadfastcoward]

Ever heard of The Unknown Comic? Bag over the head?

[@spencerh8426]

Using youtube clips much? Lol Also, did the crew signal the actors that this was happening? Or did they figure this out later?

[@iaincowell9747]

where do you expect him to get the footage from?

[@itzspencerr1403]

+Iain Cowell well, I've seen what seems like a billion of these false EASs on Tor and other dark web browsers. And yes, I'm the owner of Spencer H. I'm retiring the channel, and I'll be shutting it down by the release date of DOOM 4 (5/31/2016).

[@iaincowell9747]

Minecraftdude456 "I'm the owner of Spencer H". Well good for you, but I have no idea what that is, or really care.

[@itzspencerr1403]

+Iain Cowell I don't care about it either.

[@itzspencerr1403]

+Iain Cowell its my YT channel. That's what I have ownership of.

[@randiekay4994]

Seven years later...

[@veganmeatballsareyoukiddingme]

Really wish there was more info and less riffing. Not everybody should try to riff on things.

[@nwsupercooper7303]

I did an episode on this topic on my series ALERT x3, and it provides a bit more details.

[@ThunderFist1978]

I heard recently that the EAS got hacked again earlier this year, Feb. 28. Has anyone else heard about this?

[@90sNath]

DJCandyManMike nope

[@zeeisthelastletter7884]

How did you get your voice to sound like the Max Headroom hijacker?

[@Lethaltail]

The original hijacking was disguised using a ring modulator, not sure if Ben did the same thing, though.

[@PlayButtonPone]

By the way, Anthrax is a Poison not a condition

[@ThePhantomSafetyPin]

Gary Chapman Actually Anthrax is a disease caused by a bacterium, Bacillus anthracis. So it IS a condition, actually...

[@PlayButtonPone]

Thanks

[@katrinafitzgerald2827]

12:36 I can't fucking breathe.

[@ScrotusXL]

Benn Minnotte you rock! Much love bro from the UK😄 more pervy Max Headroom please. I love his deviant behaviour! Lol! When I was a kid Matt Frewer (mis spell? was genius as the original MH. But hijack weirdo Max Headroom is definitely a hero of the 21st century...no, not really that's just lame. Loving your work tho homes. Keep the oddities comin😜👍

[@zeeisthelastletter7884]

14:32 I knew Max Headroom would get his revenge XD

[@skylar_gray]

whats that eas emulator

[@spencerh8426]

No, THIS IS REAL no emulation was used

[@skylar_gray]

no for the ones when he was interupted by when he was talking

[@spencerh8426]

Ok, I actually have eas emulator and he was using a emulator for that scene.....

[@WinterSteele]

The thumbnail for this video is more terrifying than the hoax itself, lol.

[@RGG800]

What's the name of the song in the intro?

[@XavsterEdits]

He made it, the name's at the credits of this video.

[@contentcreatorbloke]

It's called Pavanned.

[@steadfastcoward]

Do ya SUPPOSE this was partly some sarcastic comment on the PROGRAMS SHOWN on the hacker's part???

[@seanhornibrook]

wait... so how does the text transmit as well just from the audio? is the beeping at the beginning and end some sort of audio rate data stream?

[@FairPlay137]

The text is automatically generated from the data burst at the beginning of a message. This header is how modern NOAA weather radios know what type of weather alert is happening.

[@giga898]

3 year late response, but for anyone who stumbles upon this, yes the initial tone is data. The header is formatted ZCZC-ORG-EEE-PSSCCC+TTTT-JJJHHMM-LLLLLLLL. ZCZC is a “calibration code” to synchronize clocks and serve as an alert to the decoders to activate. ORG is the originator code, whether that be a primary entry point, civil authority, etc. EEE is the event code (weather, civil danger, etc). PSSCCC is the location code. TTTT is the purge time where the alert expires using 15 minute increments, or 0000 for events that expire immediately. JJJHHMM is the time of issue. LLLLLLLL is the callsign of the station. After the SAME header, there is the attention tone, followed by the audio and text portion, followed by NNNN to indicate the end of the broadcast. Fun issues arise when that NNNN end of message tone doesn’t get transmitted correctly (see: 2015 nationwide eas test infinite loops)

[@dinorahenriquez8346]

BILLY MAYS

[@Nick-kv5tz]

12:54 MUST. HAVE. 10 HOUR. LOOP.

[@SuperLuigiSixty4]

Talk about "dead-air".

[@kennethbosquemarinmoved1078]

Got something for ya in benny boy?

[@narneir]

8:17 ... What's the joke? I'm an idiot, so forgive me.

[@ExtremeGamer9951]

That IP is a fake to stp people tracking them. Its got way too many numbers in it as far as I know.

[@JordanBahrPian-UkePlayer]

ExtremeGamer9951 One too many numbers, yes, and it's separated in the wrong places. A typical IP has a 3.3.2.2 number sequence.

[@ExtremeGamer9951]

Exactly

[@MackyClemen]

It is a joke. All numbers have a maximum of 255 (eg. 255.255.255.255), but in this, it has 36.243.636.243 (means that is fake, look the 3rd set of numbers: 636. Larger than 255.)

[@artistwithouttalent]

Nar Neir I think it might be 36:24:36, since that motif is repeated.

[@johnnyklebitzrevenge4793]

I love the EAS from the National Troll Service