Hacking History: The first computer worm
summary
The talk reconstructs the 1988 Morris Worm: ~3,200 lines of C that uses gets buffer overflow against finger, a sendmail debug exploit to ask targets to execute mail bodies, and rsh/rexec plus /etc/passwd guessing to propagate. A one‑in‑seven replication check turns into a fork‑bomb under high load, causing reinfection and widespread slowdown; estimates cite ~6,000 machines (≈10% of ARPANET hosts) and damages of $100k–$10M. Outcome: CFAA conviction, $1,050 fine, 400 hours community service, expulsion from Cornell.
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chapters (19)
- 0:00Morris worm introduction
- 1:12Morris worm strikes internet
- 2:59Robert Morris: worm creator
- 8:171988 internet insecurity
- 9:21Morris family tech roots
- 11:26Morris Jr. at Cornell
- 13:31Worm spread across North America
- 15:17Worm as fork bomb
- 18:12Password cracking and remote execution
- 21:25Finger daemon buffer overflow
- 25:01Sendmail debug mode exploit
- 26:52Community fixes and response
- 28:40Worm damage and impact
- 30:49Media and NSA controversy
- 32:15CFAA crime debate
- 34:01Morris’s legal consequences
- 35:46Morris’s tech career
- 37:10Security lessons from worm
- 38:54Q&A: The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
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