Types of Zip Bombs
There are two categories of Zip Bombs. They are as follows:
Recursive Zip Bombs
As the name suggests, this Zip Bomb uses a recursive technique. In other words, it means compressed files are nested. When unzipped, the files decompress recursively. It is to be noted that Recursive Zip files comprise zip quines which are nothing but copies of files that result in overflow. The most famous example of a Recursive Zip Bomb is 42. zip. This Zip file is 42KB but when unzipped the unpacking results in a file size of 45 petabytes.
Non-Recursive Zip Bombs
In this, a huge amount of data is compressed in a single layer instead of using multiple layers. It is also known as a simple or basic zip bomb. It is less complex as compared to a recursive Zip Bomb.
What is a Zip Bomb and How Does it Work?
Zip Bomb is another type of malicious attack cyber threat whose aim is to disrupt the working of the systems and steal or damage data. There are various weapons available that can be used to launch such malicious acts. Some of them include computer viruses, Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, Zip Bombs, and other attack vectors.