Incident
incident:iowa_courthouse_penetration_test_arrests
Also: Dallas County Courthouse arrests, Iowa courthouse incident
The 2019 incident in which Justin Wynn and Gary De Mercurio were arrested after testing the Dallas County Courthouse under a Coalfire engagement authorized by the state judicial organisation.
The 2019 incident in which Justin Wynn and Gary De Mercurio were arrested after testing the Dallas County Courthouse under a Coalfire engagement authorized by the state judicial organisation.
“Two men arrested for breaking into the Dallas County Courthouse say they were hired to do it by the state.”
“Eventually the Dallas County prosecutors in Iowa came to an understanding and on January 30th, 2020 they dropped all charges against Gary and Justin.”
| Direction | Predicate | Other entity | Origin | EP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| outgoing | INVOLVES | Coalfire Systems | Explicit | 59 |
| outgoing | INVOLVES | Justin Wynn | Explicit | 59 |
| outgoing | INVOLVES | Gary De Mercurio | Explicit | 59 |
| outgoing | COMPROMISES | Dallas County Courthouse | Explicit | 59 |
| outgoing | INVOLVES | physical penetration testing | Explicit | 59 |
| outgoing | INVOLVES | Lockpicking | Explicit | 59 |
| outgoing | INVOLVES | Remote device | Explicit | 59 |
| outgoing | INVOLVES | Get-out-of-jail-free card | Explicit | 59 |
| outgoing | ATTRIBUTED_TO | Iowa | Derived | 59 |
Iowa courthouse penetration-test arrests INVOLVES Coalfire Systems
The Iowa courthouse penetration-test arrests arose from work Coalfire performed for the Iowa Judicial Branch.
Explicit Confidence 98% · Jack Rhysider EP 59 Details
“the Iowa Judicial Branch that called up Coalfire and asked the company to come and do a penetration test on the courthouses themselves”
Iowa courthouse penetration-test arrests INVOLVES Justin Wynn
Justin Wynn participated in the Iowa courthouse physical penetration testing and was arrested during the engagement.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Reporter EP 59 Details
“Justin Wynn and Gary De Mercurio are both now charged with third-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools.”
Iowa courthouse penetration-test arrests INVOLVES Gary De Mercurio
Gary De Mercurio participated in the Iowa courthouse physical penetration testing and was arrested during the engagement.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Reporter EP 59 Details
“Justin Wynn and Gary De Mercurio are both now charged with third-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools.”
Iowa courthouse penetration-test arrests COMPROMISES Dallas County Courthouse
During the engagement, Justin and Gary gained unauthorized physical access, from the county's perspective, to the Dallas County Courthouse in Adel, Iowa.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Jack Rhysider EP 59 Details
“We’re here testing the security. ... we’re hired by Iowa State Courts.”
“Two men arrested for breaking into the Dallas County Courthouse say they were hired to do it by the state.”
Iowa courthouse penetration-test arrests INVOLVES physical penetration testing
The incident involved a contracted physical penetration test of Iowa Judicial Branch facilities.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Jack Rhysider EP 59 Details
“they’re specifically asking for a physical penetration test at five locations”
Iowa courthouse penetration-test arrests INVOLVES Lockpicking
The courthouse assessment involved lockpicking; Gary and Justin picked locks to enter courtrooms and discussed lockpicking as an authorized technique.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Gary De Mercurio EP 59 Details
“I ended up picking two doors in a row to a court room and then we ended up making it in.”
Iowa courthouse penetration-test arrests INVOLVES Remote device
The engagement included attempting to place a drone or remote device so the testers could access the internal network after leaving the facility.
Explicit Confidence 98% · Justin Wynn EP 59 Details
“plug in a what we call a drone or remote device to be able to access that network later once we’re off-site”
Iowa courthouse penetration-test arrests INVOLVES Get-out-of-jail-free card
The testers carried documentation listing their Iowa Judicial Branch contacts and used it to establish that the courthouse access was an authorized engagement.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Jack Rhysider EP 59 Details
“They create what’s called a get-out-of-jail-free card. This is a slip of paper that lists all the people who hired Coalfire to do this penetration test.”
Iowa courthouse penetration-test arrests ATTRIBUTED_TO Iowa
The incident took place at Iowa courthouses and involved Iowa state and county authorities; the episode does not treat the state and county authorization issue as fully settled at the time of the arrests.
Derived Confidence 86% · Jack Rhysider EP 59 Details
“this was a county courthouse and it was a state department that hired them. State and county are two different things”