Blow away your XP/Win2K machine in 5 lines ( or less )

[HigherGround]

#include <stdio.h>
void main(void) {
for(int i = 0; i < 5 ; i++)
printf("\t\t\b\b\b");
}

the following user level code will BSOD any Win2K/XP machine, forcing a reboot.

source ArsTechnica Forums

I did some research and found a more complete description of the problem over here.

I find it amusing that a user level program can blow away the OS, every time


sorry if this is a repost

 

[Adul]

hahsa that is pretty funny actually.

 

[worth]

Adul, you're a nef

 

[Valhalla1]

hey thanks for the link, this info is always useful.

now to add the program to startup..

 

[Kntx]

So.... what's your point?


edit: Nevermind, your point is that it's amusing.

It is amusing.

 

[Viper GTS]

If you have a compiled executable for me to download I'll try it later, right now I'm busy doing stuff & don't need a crash.

I'll make a user account & run it from there.

Viper GTS

 

[BeauJangles]

Good Old Microsoft... when will they ever learn

 

[coloumb]

Interesting, but flawed. Without a program to compile the code and someone or someway to get it to the computer you wish to cripple, it's nothing more than just a few lines of code. And, when you do run the compiled program under XP/Win2k, it would be considered a virus/trojan.

Yep - when will Microsoft ever learn!?! Heck - when will any company learn that you should NOT release development software so people can cripple the operating system no matter what kind it is!!! MY GOD! What the H3LL is going on!!! AHHHHHHH!!!!

 

[CaptainGoodnight]

This is old news....

 

[ShadowHunter]

And I'm sure that some 5 lines of code out there could crash a Linux box. What's your point?

 

[Platypus]

yeah well I can crash 2k in one line!

format c: /y



Anyway, why the HELL do people use void for main

 

[FuZoR]

ok ran it... 2 secs later freezes 1 sec later black screen 2 secs later, auto reboots....
win2k machine.

err... whats the point of this? it wouldnt freeze up the machine unless some runs it...

http://www.dittohost.com/refugeez/atotcrash.ZIP

 

[Schlocemus]

Very interesting

 

[SinNisTeR]

thats pretty funny.

 

[hungrypete]

That would be a nice present to leave in the login script if I ever get pushed around too much.

 

[BigLance]

Hmm... Thats kinda cool, and kinda scary ...

 

[HigherGround]

There's no real point to this post, that is I'm not trying to prove that MS has QA problems with their OS code ( we all now they do ).



<< And I'm sure that some 5 lines of code out there could crash a Linux box. >>



Noone said there isn't, however there's nothing out that that is so trivial, yet so destructive. The severity of this crash is equal to halting the init process on linux by a non priviliged user, which in turn would cause a kernel panic. Trust me it, it's not that easy to accomplish.

 

[Valhalla1]

really this is no big deal, you have to get someone to actually run the program, and if you can do that you might as have them run something more destructive than just locking up their pc

this is really only cool if you can have them visit a website which crashes any xp/2k pc, better yet and 98 pc. wasnt there some 98 bug where if you tried to access c:\con\con or something like that it crashed?