Thread by @Consortiumnews

DAY 14 of the #Assange extradition hearing will start soon. Our live tweets are on this thread.

Join us at 5pm BST for Joe Lauria @unjoe's daily update on the day's proceedings.

One of today's witnesses is Patrick Eller.

Summers: At 11.30 last night we received the prosecution's bundle for witnesses. Mr Eller hasn't had a chance to read it. There has been an exchange between Eller & Kromberg & a challenge to his evidence. Eller needs an hour to read it.

Baraitser grants 1 hour. She received 2 statements last night. Questions whether they can be admitted. Lewis will give an answer today.

Now speaking about what journalists can disclose. Nothing more than what is discussed in open court, acc to defence.

Defence wants to submit closing statements in writing, give to #Assange & then address the court. They would forego the latter in the interest of having time for 2nd superseding indictment. They ask 4 weeks. Baraitser wants it to be end of next week. EF pleads for more. Lewis OK

Baraitser: What impact do US elections have on your case?
EF: There will be no verdict before Nov 4th & all we've said about systemic issues stands. #Assange's fate after election unknown

Baraitser agrees that closing arguments will be due on Nov 16, with 72 hours for responses

Statement being read. Fmr editor-in-chief of @DerFreitag which alerted world to publication of the password to unredacted cables in @DavidLeighx book. Mentions Daniel Domscheit-Berg, who left @Wikileaks w/ large volume of data. #Assange expressed concern abt informants exposure.

EF Asks for 2 expert reports to be admitted. One re ADX (prison in Colorado) & both relating to human rights.

Lewis objects. We would require another hearing & cross-examination.

EF We have had no opportunity to cross-examine Gordon Kromberg & Luke Feld, witnesses for gov.

Baraitser refuses the admission of more statements from the defence. The issues have already been heard.

The witness statements Judge Baraitser has excluded are from the Head of the Bureau of Prisons in the US & the other an ADX prison psychiatrist. The latter is where #Assange would be sent if sentenced.

Expert witness Patrick Heller. A life-long career in the military & law enforcement. Has been asked to examine Jabber chat between @xychelsea & "Nathanial Frank" re cracking of hash code

MS Did chat reveal what hash code would be used for, or computer it would be used on?
PH No

MS How do you decrypt a hash code?
PH You would need the SAM file + the system file.
MS Using just the information in the chat, could it be used to recreate a password.
PH Not in my opinion.

MS @xychelsea worked in a SCIF (secure room) w/ her own domain account name.

The acct associated w/ the hash was a different one "FTP user" (her local machine). If Manning had been able to crack PW would it have got her access to defence information?

PH No, not the T-drive

MS Re hash code, the code never was cracked?
PH No
MS The discussion was never returned to?
PH No. Had it been done, it would have resulted to a PW for the FTP User acct (which had no access to defence info).
MS Manning did not require a PW for defence info (SIPRNET)?
PH Correct

MS Once on SIPRNET were there areas requiring a PW?
Yes
MS Any info downloaded from SIPRNET would be detected?
Yes
MS Did Manning know?
Yes
MS Could Manning have downloaded material undetected?
PH No, the IP address of her station would be logged, no matter the login

MS If Manning had cracked the PW would she have gained access to the SIDNE database as FTP User?
PH Not to the best of my knowledge.

MS There were 4 stages Manning had to go through to get info from US Mil computers to @Wikileaks. Could 1 & 2 be done anonymously?
No & no to all

MS Could Manning have used a Linux CD to get classified material w/out detection?
Yes

MS What was installed illegally on the SCIF T-drive?
PH Players for films, video games
MS Did the soldiers want the games on their local computers & were they assisted?
Yes, by My Milleman(?)

What was the use of the FTP User account?
PH It had admin permissions so it enabled games etc to be installed.
MS Manning's machine was re-imaged. Would there have still have been non standard software?
PH No

Lewis: How do you know the hash code was never cracked?
PH: Based on the chat
Lewis: But you are not certain
PH: No

Lewis: Looking at the Jabber chat, you have agreed that Nathanial Frank is Julian Assange & other user is Manning?
PH Yes

Lewis: The hash Manning sent came from the SAM file (Security Access Management). To create an LM hash, Windows does a number of things...

Lewis goes through the technical process of a PW being converted to an LM hash. Windows realised this would be easily cracked with a brute force attack?
PH Today, yes.
Lewis: The other way is w/ Rainbow Tables?
PH: Yes
Lewis: #Assange says they have Rainbow Tables for LM?
PH: Yes

Lewis: Your wording is very careful. You say "at the time" it would not have been possible to crack an LM hash. I want to show you a 1999 clip w/ techniques used by penetration testers. Says brute force attacks possible but you say not possible in 2010?
PH Yes, US Mil PWs longer

Lewis continues reading a highly technical text abt cracking PWs on Windows machines. Eller looks like he has wanted to say something for a long time.

PE In 1999, Windows provided a patch for the the vulnerability you have been talking about for some time.

PE A hash was provided & Rainbow Tables were mentioned. There was no information about what it would be used for, & it was made clear that there was not enough info to crack it

Lewis: But a skilled hacker could crack what most considered impossible?
PE: If they had all the info

Lewis: Network logs can only identify a computer, not a user, but we know that Manning used own login (Bradley.Manning) & these records were used to prosecute her. On that user, a folder called Bloop contained 10K US Mil docs?
PE: Yes
Lewis: Was a downloading script found?
PE Yes

Lewis refers to Kromberg's evidence. There's other examples of use of Manning's personal login. Would you agree that the ability to look forensically at her computer would be useful in prosecuting her?
PE Yes
So if FTP User was used records would not be associated w/ her?
PE Yes

Lewis: There would be a clear advantage to using another account to access data.
PE: Yes, if that was what she was trying to do.
Lewis: You say use of FTP user enabled bypassing security to install video games?
PE Yes
Lewis: That's a defence theory & you support it?
PE: Yes

Lewis: U don't know the FTP User acct had admin privileges.
PE: You can't say it didn't.
Lewis: But it was re-imaged & if it did not have admin privileges it couldn't have been used to install video games.
PE: Correct

Short break

Baraitser has asked witness Patrick Eller to come back after lunch.

EF That's if Mr Lewis for the prosecution (who is absent) doesn't object.

Laughter in court.

Break for lunch

Re-exam of Patrick Eller by Mark Summers.

MS We know the handle "Nobody" is Manning. Did anyone ask you to determine who "Nathanial Frank" was?
PE No
MS Why did you say Assange when referring to NF?
PE It was assumed
MS Do you know who was on the NF end or the IP address??
PE No

MS You said it was computationally infeasible to crack the hash PW, and you spoke of a patch that was installed in Microsoft software to remove the vulnerability Mr Lewis was talking about... Would a skilled hacker be able to hack the computationally infeasible?
PE I assume no

MS If Manning had cracked the password and logged into the FTP User acct, would she have been able to access defence info?
PE No
MS Would she have had access to WeGet (downloading utility)?
PE If she had admin permissions she could have installed it.

MS Could the "FTP User" account disguise accessing defence info?
PE No, because the tracking logged the unique IP address of the computer.
MS Would the FTP User account have admin privileges?
PE: Local accounts on a system generally would have admin privileges

An "application from the newspaper" will be read - in terms of access to documents within the context of open justice.

The public must be able to understand the issues and the evidence. The judge must balance between the principle and the risk of harm to the interests of others.

The concern in this case is Mr #Assange's privacy. (Read by Joel Smith for the prosec.)

Baraitser puzzled why the prosecution is concerned about JA's privacy. Joel Smith says the prosecution supports his right

EF There is nothing more. There have been 2 days of full disclosure

Baraitser: Aren't witness statements usually read out?
Smith: "In the olden days" but most of the time statements are simply submitted in writing and not always read.
Baraitser: If public doesn't know what is in the statements, how can they make an argument for getting access?

Smith: Applicants (the press) may cite gaps in their knowledge which result in them not being able to follow the arguments.
EF: But the press do not have the automatic right to obtain statements. It can be difficult to get over the hurdle of identifying what is missing.

EF: There's been much discussion in open court abt Mr Assange's medical condition. We feel it inappropriate to hand over medical notes, wh contain info about his family.

Application: We don't want #Assange's medical notes. We need to see & understand the reports. Can you redact?

There are 5 or 6 medical reports that his not been released to the media. They are complaining that when sections are referenced, it is difficult to understand what is being discussed.

Baraitser will make a call on this on Monday.

Edward Fitzgerald says that no further progress can be made in court today. Adjourned until Monday.