When someone starts their journey in cybersecurity or moves forward in their career, they eventually stumble upon certain legendary exploits, iconic CTF machines, and infamous bugs. These exploits, machines, and incidents have shaped how we see security and fundamentally changed the đ tech landscape across industries like đ web and đ± mobile.
These "escapades" represent pivotal moments in cybersecurity history, serving as landmarks for how vulnerabilities have been discovered, exploited, and fixed. They have shaped how we practice cybersecurity today and will definitely influence future decisions and technologies we build to protect our data, devices, and đ networks.
Below, Iâll try to pen down some of the legendary exploits, classic CTF machines, infamous security bugs, and even geopolitically driven incidents that have impacted cybersecurity on a global scale.
1. The Legendary Exploits:
Classics that are considered timeless by the cybersecurity community - each one is unique in how it reshaped our understanding of vulnerabilities, attacks, and defenses:
EternalBlue (MS17-010): A notorious exploit developed by the NSA, that got leaked by the Shadow Brokers. It led to large-scale ransomware attacks like WannaCry and NotPetya. EternalBlue was a gift to any hacker worth their salt because it targeted a super common SMB vulnerability on Windows. If it was unpatched, you were toast.
Heartbleed (CVE-2014-0160): A vulnerability in the OpenSSL library that allowed attackers to read sensitive information directly from the memory of affected systems. Like reading password of your bank account from a post-it note. The impact was immense, leading to countless servers being compromised due to leaked encryption keys and private data that taught us that even âsecureâ tools can have massive holes.
Stuxnet: The James Bond of malware. A sophisticated worm that targeted industrial control systems (ICS) in Iran, believed to be a joint effort by the U.S. and Israel to sabotage nuclear facilities. Stuxnet was the first instance of a malware that specifically targeted programmable logic controllers (PLCs), showcasing the potential for real-world consequences of cyberwarfare.
Shellshock (CVE-2014-6271): A vulnerability in the Unix Bash shell that allowed remote code execution - from web servers to your smart fridge. Shellshock impacted millions of servers, embedded systems, and IoT devices, as Bash was embedded deeply into many Unix-based environments. Why? Because someone thought it was a great idea to not sanitize inputs. Millions of devices could suddenly be commandeered remotely. Fun times đ.
BlueKeep (CVE-2019-0708): A critical vulnerability in Remote Desktop Services on older Windows systems. BlueKeep could allow attackers to remotely execute code without any form of authentication. Like leaving your front door open with a giant âcome on inâ sign in neon color for hackers.
Spectre and Meltdown: These hardware-level vulnerabilities targeted CPUs and exploited side-channel attacks to extract sensitive data from kernel memory. It showed us that even CPUs could be tricked into leaking sensitive data. These bugs were a wake-up call for the entire industry, forcing chip manufacturers and OS vendors to rethink their security models.
Stagefright (Android Vulnerability): A bug affecting the Android media playback library, allowing RCE on vulnerable devices just by sending a malicious MMS. It was one of the biggest threats to Android devices globally back in the day.
Dirty Cow (CVE-2016-5195): A privilege escalation vulnerability in the Linux kernel, affecting Android devices and many Linux distributions. It was all about exploiting how Linux handled copy-on-write (COW). For Android users, this bug also meant anyone could root your device without asking nicely.
Other Notable Mentions:
SQL Slammer
WannaCry
Morris Worm
Conficker ( also known as Downup, Downadup, and Kido)
KRACK (Wi-Fi WPA2 Vulnerability)
Log4Shell (Log4j Vulnerability)
CTF machines serve as practical learning playground for those wishing to practice security techniques in a controlled environment. Here are some of the most famous ones for different platforms:
Hack The Box: Legacy - Classic Windows machine that teaches the fundamentals of network and OS exploitation. If you havenât mastered SMB vulnerabilities, itâs time to get cracking. Legacy is where you understand why patching is not optional.
VulnHub: Kioptrix Series - A great Linux-based series focusing on privilege escalation and web vulnerabilities, ideal for beginners looking to dive into old-school Linux, and the series really makes you sweat through those privilege-escalation hoops.
Hack The Box: Jeeves - Famous for quirky challenges from enumeration to Windows exploitation, great for those new to Active Directory and similar setups.
TryHackMe: Blue - Another CTF related to EternalBlue, designed for beginners to understand the steps involved in exploiting SMB vulnerabilities.
VulnHub: Mr. Robot - wanna feel like Elliot? A CTF inspired by the popular TV series - Mr Robot, covering web vulnerabilities and privilege escalation techniques, along with a touch of cryptography.
TJ Null's List - If you're aiming for certifications like OSCP, PWK, OSWE, or any offensive cert, youâve probably heard of TJ Null's famous list of machines. This list gives you a roadmap of what to solvehack on different platforms to achieve those certs.
Mobile-Specific CTFs:
Androgochi (Android CTF) - Focuses on Android app security, covering reverse engineering and common vulnerabilities in Android apps.
iOS Security Challenges - iOS-specific challenges from platforms like iCTF, which highlight vulnerabilities like insecure data storage and jailbreak techniques.
3. Famous Bugs in Security:
Security problems usually happen because someone, somewhere, took a shortcut. That later became famous because it caused big problems. Letâs talk about the bugs that have haunted developers and kept us security folks employed đ„ł.
Input Validation Failures: Wrote some code and thought, âNah, why would anyone enter a SQL command in that text boxâ? Yeah, they will. Not validating input properly is like giving attackers a key to your database. SQLi and XSS are the gifts that keep on giving - all because some dev trusted user input a little too much.
Authentication and Authorization Flaws: Using â12345â as password during testing and forgetting to change it later. Or just slapping together some session management without worrying too much about hijacking. The result? An attacker gets in because someone cut a corner. The "I'll fix it later" that never happens.
Hardcoded Secrets: Hardcoding the API keys directly in your code - like no one's gonna look in there. Until your repo goes public, and some bot scrapes your AWS credentials faster than you can say âoopsiesâ. The kind of mistake that turns a devâs life into a fire drill on a Friday evening.
Insecure Deserialization: A magic trick that works perfectly until you realize your magician friend is a con artist. Deserialization bugs let attackers take untrusted serialized data and use it to execute whatever code they like.
Improper Error Handling: A normal console.log(err) is always good for debugging, right? Except when it ends up in production, and suddenly every user (or hacker) sees your entire stack trace. Sometimes less is more - like just throwing a âSomething went wrongâ instead of displaying your dirty laundry.
Misconfigured Security Headers: Like forgetting to lock the door on your way out. Security headers like CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options - if you donât set these, youâre basically inviting attackers to have a field day with XSS and MITM attacks. Annoying to set up? Sure. Necessary? Absolutely.
Race Conditions in Code: Imagine two people racing to grab the same resource, and whoever gets there first winsâexcept in code, the winner gets root privileges. Dirty Cow showed us what happens when you donât properly handle concurrent processes. Itâs messy and gives attackers the upper hand.
4. Geopolitical Incidents That Shaped Security:
Cybersecurity is not just nerds in hoodies - but also about countries flexing their muscles; thats heavily influenced by geopolitics. The following incidents show how vulnerabilities and exploits have played a role in shaping global security policies:
Stuxnet: Allegedly the U.S. and Israel dropped this beauty into Iranâs nuclear facilities, and boom - centrifuges were spinning out of control. It wasnât just a cyber attack; it was cyber warfare in action, and it changed the game forever; to cause physical damage to infrastructure.
The Shadow Brokers Leak: A bunch of exploits straight from the NSAâs vault got leaked, including EternalBlue. This leak changed the landscape of cybersecurity, giving both researchers and malicious actors tools that were never supposed to see the light of day. And in the hands of anyone with a grudge.
NotPetya Attack: Russia decided to mess with Ukraine, and NotPetya happened. It pretended to be ransomware, but the goal was just chaos. The collateral damage was insane - the attack led billions in losses for companies worldwide.
China and the Great Firewall: We've all heard about China's firewall. The software we use here? They have their own versions. Their Google isn't our Google, their Amazon/Flipkart isn't our Amazon/Flipkart - everything is different there. This is thanks to the Great Firewall of China. It's not about blocking websites; it's a mix of censorship, surveillance, and cyber skills. Not just keeping content out but controlling everything inside the borders. Impressive, but scarrry đ.
SolarWinds Hack: Late 2020, Russians allegedly slipped a backdoor into SolarWinds, and it ended up in U.S. government and corporate networks. The attack was a masterclass in supply chain exploitation - youâre only as secure as your weakest vendor.
Operation Olympic Games: Pre-Stuxnet, this operation was reportedly launched by the U.S. to disrupt Iran's nuclear progress. It laid the groundwork for how cyber operations could be a key tool in modern geopolitical conflicts causing real-world disruption.
Conclusion: The Legacy of These Classics
Cybersecurity isnât just about code and đ ïž exploits - itâs about people, history, and the stories behind how we got here. The vulnerabilities, exploits, machines, and incidents covered represent key lessons in security.
Understanding them is not just about mastering technical skills but also about comprehending how intertwined security is with global events, technological evolution, and human creativity.
By learning these iconic elements of cybersecurity, one gains an appreciation for both the offensive and defensive measures that have been developed over the years.
And hey, the next time you're stuck đ debugging an error or đ§ patching a vulnerability, just remember - youâre contributing to the next chapter of cybersecurity history.
