On: Smashing the Stack for Fun and Profit (1996)

[tekstar]

This article, and then working through the book "Hacking and the Art of Exploitation" taught me the true fundamentals of the C programming language, and Linux. The other key ingredient was working through the classic "digital evolution" wargames where you'd SSH into a box as level1 and work your way up from there.

[bluedino → tekstar]

Another good book is 'Reversing: Secrets of Reverse Engineering'

Books like that should be required reading when learning C. It shows you so much that the typical book won't cover.

[tekstar → bluedino]

Yes! What it taught me was, to master a layer of abstraction, learn the layer it sits on top of as well.

[nanidin → bluedino]

I'm particular to "Rootkits: Subverting the Windows Kernel". The more you understand about the system you're running on, the more you can do!

[TrispusAttucks → tekstar]

Your comment caused a forgotten memory to pop up to the surface. Did you by chance happen to participate in the Zebulun Cyber Army Challenge(s) [1]?

Those games were very rewarding for a high schooler on the early internet.

[1] https://www.ca-zeb.com/

[tekstar → TrispusAttucks]

I remember CyberArmy, I think maybe that was where to find war games before dievo? I don't remember the Zebulon name though.

[m00dy → tekstar]

Same here. It also inspired me for my master thesis which is ‘Using Bitcoin For Fun and Profit’.

[jcpham2 → m00dy]

Slashdot circa 2011 “bitcoin mining for fun and profit”

Phrack is standard required reading

[zith → tekstar]

Exactly the same experience as me. I got pretty deeply involved in the digital evolution community.

Great way to spend my teenage years, and a great foundation to have while programming in any language. :)