Laptop Theft Protector

antitheft.php

<?php
/*
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Laptop Theft Protector
  Version 1.0
  Copyright (c) 2006, Manas Tungare
  http://manas.tungare.name/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  READ THIS CAFEFULLY: YOU MUST CUSTOMIZE ONE VARIABLE BEFORE USE.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  INSTALLATION:
  1. Put the shell script ("antitheft.sh") on your Mac laptop, chmod +x and
     all that.
  2. Rename it to something that will not be very obvious to a thief.
  3. Schedule it to run every few minutes via a cron job.
  4. Put this file ("antitheft.php") on a webserver you own.
  5. If and when your laptop gets stolen, you should change a variable in 
     the PHP script (instructions are within the file).
  6. After that point, the laptop will start reporting results back to your 
     web server. Till then, no reports are generated or stored, for privacy.
  7. The server will send you email and store screenshots and network logs.
  8. Take them to the law enforcement agencies and ask ISPs to help you locate
     the laptop.
  
  WHAT THE SCRIPTS DO:
     The shell script (on your laptop) checks with your webserver to ask if it 
     has been stolen. It usually receives no reply (0 bytes) which indicates
     that everything is all right (minimal bandwidth usage). If it's ever
     stolen, you would change a variable on the server, which sends a stream 
     of non-zero size to the laptop. If the laptop gets such a reply, it goes
     into 'reporting mode' and starts keeping track of network connections 
     and starts taking screenshots. It sends both of these to your server.
     The server stores them and sends you email. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*/

$isLaptopStolen = "no"; // Change this to 'yes' when laptop actually gets stolen!
$kMailRecipient = "test@example.com";
$kMailSubject = "Info from Stolen Laptop";
$kReportsDir = realpath("./reports"); // Make sure this is world-writeable.

if ($isLaptopStolen === "no")
  exit();

if ($_FILES['log']['size'] == 0) { // This is the first request.
  echo("Yes, we're stolen!"); // Doesn't matter what the text says, just needs to be non-null.
  exit();
}

// Now we're definitely stolen, and laptop is attempting to send us network log and screenshot.

// Mail the Report
mail ($kMailRecipient, $kMailSubject.": ".$_POST["date"], file_get_contents($_FILES["log"]["tmp_name"]));

// Save Screenshot & Report on the Web Server
if ($_FILES['log']['size'] != 0) {
  $logFile = $kReportsDir."/antitheft-".$_POST["date"].".log";
  move_uploaded_file($_FILES['log']['tmp_name'], $logFile); 
  chmod($logFile, 0777);
}

if ($_FILES['screenshot']['size'] != 0) {
  $screenShotFile = $kReportsDir."/screenshot-".$_POST["date"].".png";
  move_uploaded_file($_FILES['screenshot']['tmp_name'], $screenShotFile);
  chmod($screenShotFile, 0777);
}
?>

antitheft.sh

#!/bin/bash

# Must customize the URL below to the location of your PHP script.
PHONE_HOME_URL=http://www.example.com/laptop/911/

VERSION=1.0
USER_AGENT="Laptop Theft Protector/$VERSION"

ANTITHEFT_HOME=./
LOG=$ANTITHEFT_HOME/antitheft.log
REPLY_LOG=$ANTITHEFT_HOME/reply.log
SCREENSHOT=$ANTITHEFT_HOME/screenshot.png

# First request, ask server if we are stolen.
curl --user-agent "$USER_AGENT" --output $REPLY_LOG $PHONE_HOME_URL

# If server sent us a reply, yes, we're stolen. Otherwise server will stay quiet.
if [ -f $REPLY_LOG ]; then
  rm $REPLY_LOG

  echo "Info from Stolen Laptop: `date \"+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S\"`" > $LOG;
  echo "Hostname: `hostname`" >> $LOG;
  echo "" >> $LOG;
  echo "Network Configuration:" >> $LOG;
  ifconfig >> $LOG 2>&1;
  echo "" >> $LOG;
  echo "Traceroute to Google:" >> $LOG;
  traceroute "www.google.com" >> $LOG 2>&1

  # First request without a screenshot, in case bandwidth is low.  
  curl \
    --user-agent "$USER_AGENT" \
    --output $REPLY_LOG \
    --form "date=`date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S`" \
    --form "log=@$LOG" \
    $PHONE_HOME_URL

  screencapture -Cx $SCREENSHOT

  # Second request includes both, network log and screenshot.
  curl \
    --user-agent "$USER_AGENT" \
    --output $REPLY_LOG \
    --form "date=`date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S`" \
    --form "log=@$LOG" \
    --form "screenshot=@$SCREENSHOT" \
    $PHONE_HOME_URL

  #Cleanup temp files, keep archives if enabled above.
  rm $LOG;
  rm $REPLY_LOG;
  rm $SCREENSHOT;
fi

Hi @manastungare, nice script. Is there any way to do same with Windows system.

Actually there is... you can convert the .sh file to a .bat file

You can run the .bat file on windows, or use a program to convert .bat to .exe file
(I use -- Dr. Batcher)
and have it start everytime your computer starts, & rename it or even create a TSR App..

There are MANY ways to accomplish this.. just looking at the .sh code above, its similar
to a .bat file, with minor changes.. you would also have to install cURL separately, and so on...

But yes it could be done... 👻