How to hack time, with C2PA
The author explores the vulnerabilities of C2PA metadata, a standard designed to verify content authenticity, by demonstrating how to manipulate timestamps. The piece uses a humorous example of 'hacking time' to highlight flaws in how digital signatures are implemented.
Why it matters
It exposes potential security weaknesses in emerging digital provenance standards intended to combat misinformation.
Welcome to my ::'########::'##::::::::'#######:::'######::: :: ##.... ##: ##:::::::'##.... ##:'##... ##:: :: ##:::: ##: ##::::::: ##:::: ##: ##:::..::: :: ########:: ##::::::: ##:::: ##: ##::'####: :: ##.... ##: ##::::::: ##:::: ##: ##::: ##:: :: ##:::: ##: ##::::::: ##:::: ##: ##::: ##:: :: ########:: ########:. #######::. ######::: ::........:::........:::.......::::......:::: Blog Index How to Hack Time, With C2PA By David Buchanan (aka retr0id), 2 nd October 2026
The most impressive hacking stunt from cinema history comes from Kung Fury (2015) , in which Hackerman hacks time itself. He uses this power to correct historic misdeeds. But what would I do with the ability to hack time? Personally I'm more afraid of the butterfly effect, so I'd just go back a few hours to tell myself the winning lottery numbers.
As it happens, that's exactly what I did, according to the cryptographically unforgeable C2PA metadata of this image:
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