In this episode of In the Shell, we dive into one of the most notorious cyber incidents of the early 2000s—the SQL Slammer worm. Join me as we explore how this tiny 376-byte worm caused massive internet disruptions worldwide in 2003. From its rapid spread across 75,000 servers in under 10 minutes to its impact on global infrastructure, the SQL Slammer worm serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of patching vulnerabilities and maintaining strong network security.

We’ll break down the technical aspects, including SQL Server vulnerabilities, the difference between TCP and UDP, and how the worm exploited a buffer overflow to wreak havoc. Plus, we’ll discuss the lessons learned and how cyber threats have evolved since then.

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References

https://www.netscout.com/blog/asert/remembering-sql-slammer

https://www.historytools.org/docs/the-sql-slammer-virus-how-it-works-and-how-to-protect-yourself

https://threatpost.com/inside-story-sql-slammer-102010/74589/

https://www.caida.org/catalog/papers/2003_sapphire/

https://www.wired.com/2003/07/slammer/