[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       oss-security
Subject:    Re: [oss-security] Trojan Source Attacks
From:       "David A. Wheeler" <dwheeler () dwheeler ! com>
Date:       2021-11-02 17:05:52
Message-ID: 02CDFB7D-3E27-4C74-A7FA-11FE08043AC2 () dwheeler ! com
[Download RAW message or body]



> On Nov 2, 2021, at 9:23 AM, Josh Bressers <josh@bress.net> wrote:
> You could argue the obfuscated C contest is related, that goes back to 1984.
> https://www.ioccc.org/years.html#1984

You could certainly make that argument :-). At the least,
I think the obfuscated V contest was heavily inspired by the obfuscated C contest.
After all, just look at the similarities of the name! 

I didn't make that argument.  The obfuscated C contest doesn't bill itself
as trying to fool anything as thinking some code did something *different*.
Most entries are so bizarre that you have to deeply analyze it to figure out what it does at all.
It's usually painfully obvious that obfuscated C entries are hard to read.

Underhanded code is, I think, significantly different. Instead of being clearly hard to understand,
It's designed to be (1) easy to understand WRONGLY, (2) look innocent, and
(3) do something malevolent.

--- David A. Wheeler

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]