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I used to work at a retailer and I know the password myself.

This is a prime example of hyperbole. The password only allows you to change things like what is printed on the receipt (the banner), merchant ID and other such things. It basically allows you to enter into a menu to set a few settings. It's not as if you can get a dump of card swipes.

Just a few researchers spreading fear about what has been known for a long time.

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So, you could change the merchant ID and send payments to other accounts?

That would be an interesting headache. I would hope there are some sort of back end checks in place for this type of modification

I once heard a story about a store-clerk who, upon finding their POS setup was broken, went down the street and 'borrowed' a configuration file from another store in the area that they happened to know had the same software.

Blissful in their ignorance of what was going on they then happily continued accepting transactions for the rest of the day. Oops.

Ha. Pretty damn saavy store clerk

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