Slashdot Mirror
The World's Most Dangerous Password
NonNullSet writes "Minutemen ICBMs were deployed in the early 1960s, and grew to over 1000 in number. They were allegedly protected from a "rogue launch" by an approach known as PAL (Permissive Action Link). The PAL required that the correct 8-digit launch code be entered by the missiliers before the missile would establish ignition. What if all the PAL codes had been set to '00000000,' and 'everyone' in the Strategic Air Command knew it? That is unbelievably what happened, as described in this article from the Center for Defense Information. Not exactly a great example for getting people to choose difficult passwords!"
What if all the PAL codes had been set to '00000000,' and 'everyone' in the Strategic Air Command knew it?
Stupid David played with the WOPR again!
Username: cisco
password: cisco
'nuff said.
Funniest thing I've read all day. Makes lots of seemingly 'implausible' films about unauthorised nuke launches and hacking, a lot less implausible.
'Hmm.. it's asking for a password ? Try zero zero zero'
12345 Though now we know the President's suitcase combination. :)
By reading this you acknowledge that you have read it.
Airman 1: Hey, Jeff, what do you think the secret password is?
Airman 2: Dunno. Try P-A-S-S-W-O-R-D or something.
Airman 1: Nah, it's just numerals. And it's not like the secret code could be 0000000. Nobody would be _that_ stupid.
*ATTENTION - PREPARE FOR GLOBAL THERMONUCLEAR WAR*
Airman 1: What you say!
for great justice
If a hacker tried to brute force that, I think it would have been the fastest hack on record.
Dear aunt, let's set so double the killer delete select all
I stumbled over THIS manual about passwords one day, and I found it absolutely amusing!
I'll thank you to refrain from posting my root password in this public forum.
"These people look deep within my soul and assign me a number based on the order in which I joined" --Homer re:
From page 164 of The Glossary of Slashdot, 2003 Edition:
Ok. The thing is...that's not my ACTUAL root password. It's a joke. The thing about it is, that string is a perfectly good root password. It has letters. It has digits. It's not in the dictionary. It's not pronouncable. Therefore, it was perfectly cromulent to use it in the context of a root password. I twisted that into a joke by suggesting it was my root password, and expressing dissatisfaction that it was published to the world. How he came to get the root password, I have no ideas, as it was not, as I previously stated, my actual root password. Really, *any* of my root passwords.
Finally, the fact that this alledged 'root password' does not contain punctuation or non-printable characters was not held against it. It still works for the purposes of this joke. Lets hope they remain safely anonymous by not responding to this thread to express their outrage and incredulity.
My thoughts, however, go out to all the sysadmins out there who really DID have their root password outed this evening.
Thank you for your time, and have a pleasent tomorrow.
"These people look deep within my soul and assign me a number based on the order in which I joined" --Homer re:
"Here everyone, r00t this guy."
That means something quite different here in Australia! I'll pass, thanks :)
sig under construction...