full-disclosure - bash vulnerability?

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Date: Sat Aug 13 16:58:10 2005
From: andre.breiler at null-mx.org (Andre' Breiler)
Subject: bash vulnerability?

Hi,

On Sat, 13 Aug 2005, Matija Vidmar wrote:

>
>
> Wernfried Haas wrote:
>
> > assuming you actually meant
> > :(){ :|:& };: (which can be harmful if no limits are set)?

The ':()' defines a fuction ':' with a fuction body of
{
 : | : &
}

As you can see this is a recursive call as the fuction ':' is called,
it's output passed via a pipe as input to the fuction ':' and this
whole command is run in the background '&' .

The last ':' in the string (after the ';') calls the fuction and therefore
starts it all of.

> What does it do?

It's a very simple fork bomb as other have said allready.
It's known for some time and usually handed to new starters as a joke.

Andre'