170: Phrack

Summary of 170: Phrack

by Jack Rhysider

45m•February 3, 2026
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Overview of 170: Phrack

This episode of Darknet Diaries (host Jack Rhysider) is an oral history and celebration of Phrack — the legendary hacker/e-zine that started in 1985. Jack interviews longtime and recent Phrack staff (Skyper and TMZ) to trace Phrack’s origins on BBSes, its technical and cultural impact, its legal and community controversies, multiple revivals, and the 40th‑anniversary hardcover release (Phrack 72) distributed at major conferences in 2025.

Key takeaways

  • Phrack is a foundational hacker magazine: highly technical, no-nonsense, practical articles that shaped how hacking and security research spread.
  • It bridged an underground “scene” culture and the emerging professional cybersecurity world; many modern security jobs and tools trace lineage to ideas first popularized in Phrack.
  • Phrack has been repeatedly revived by different volunteer teams; its continuity depends on community contribution and funding.
  • Major controversies (legal arrests, leaked sensitive docs, anti-security factions) demonstrate how public release of deep technical knowledge can provoke intense responses — both positive (better security) and negative (legal risk, exploitation).
  • The Phrack community still exists and is active: issues are free, PDFs are available, and the staff encourages contributions and volunteer help.

Notable articles, tools and impacts

  • E911 documentation (issue ~24, 1989): Detailed how the U.S. 911 system worked; led to arrests, legal battles (Night Lightning faced severe charges), and helped spark broader advocacy like the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Cemented Phrack’s reputation and legal notoriety.
  • “Smashing the Stack for Fun and Profit” (issue 49): One of the first widely read, clear explainers of buffer overflows — popularized exploit technique and influenced how vulnerabilities were found, discussed, and eventually patched.
  • Nmap / “The Art of Port Scanning” (issue 51, by Fyodor): Spread knowledge of port scanning and the Nmap tool; Nmap remains a de facto standard in security.
  • Hacker Manifesto (1986, published originally on Phrack): Cultural touchstone defining hacker ethics and identity ("This is our world now... We seek after knowledge... I am a hacker, and this is my manifesto").
  • GPS jamming article: Highlighted vulnerabilities of non-cyber systems (GPS), showing Phrack’s scope extended beyond classical network hacking.

Timeline & major milestones

  • 1985: First Phrack issue published on BBS (phone dial-in). Mirrored across BBSes.
  • Late 1980s–1990s: Pivotal technical articles published; legal conflicts (e.g., E911) during era of Operation Sundevil and early Secret Service actions.
  • 1998–2000: Site instability; Phrack.com often offline. Ownership and staff turnover.
  • 2000: Skyper and collaborators (groups like HERT and TESO) revived the archive and moved Phrack to Phrack.org after acquiring the domain (via insecure registrar practices of the era).
  • 2001: First hardcover release (issue 57) — physical distribution at conferences.
  • 2000s–2016: Sporadic publishing; cadence slowed to years between issues. Community volunteers kept it alive intermittently.
  • 2021: Surprise new issue after perceived dormancy; renewed interest and demonstrated continued relevance (bug bounty usage cited).
  • 2023: TempOut team (a technical e-zine group) took stewardship to revive Phrack further.
  • 2025: 40th‑anniversary issue (Phrack 72): multi-conference physical release (Netherlands, DEF CON Las Vegas, HOPE NYC), multiple covers, high-quality design (PagedOut), ~15,000 copies across events.

Controversies & community conflicts

  • Legal risks: Publishing sensitive technical documentation led to real legal exposure for contributors (notably E911). One or more contributors were arrested; some beat charges, some pled guilty.
  • Anti-security movement & PHC (Phrack High Council): Reactionary factions that opposed commercialization of hacking knowledge tried to hijack or impersonate Phrack, published tampered pre-releases containing destructive backdoors (e.g., scripts with rm -rf), and waged “witch-hunts” against hackers who joined corporate security.
  • Ethics/impact debate: Phrack’s publication of powerful techniques (exploits, physical jamming methods) raised perennial questions: publish and push for collective improvement, or withhold for safety?

People & groups mentioned

  • Jack Rhysider — host (Darknet Diaries).
  • Skyper — longtime Phrack editor (2000–2005), revived staff advisor.
  • TMZ (Tim Zee) — current staff/editor; part of TempOut team that helped revive Phrack.
  • Night Lightning — early founder/editor who faced prosecution for publishing E911 docs.
  • Fyodor — Nmap author; published port scanning guidance in Phrack.
  • Groups: HERT (Hackers Emergency Response Team), TESO/Team TESO, TempOut, PHC (anti-security), PagedOut (design collaborators).

How to access Phrack and how to get involved (action items)

  • Read/download: Phrack issues are freely available — primary archive at Phrack.org. PDFs of recent issues are released for self-print.
  • Physical copies: Phrack has periodically printed hardcopies and made them available at conferences; PDFs can be printed locally or through recommended printers (at cost). Recent anniversary runs were distributed at conferences (DEF CON, HOPE, Netherlands).
  • Contribute: If you have a paper, draft, research idea, or want to help with editing/art/reviews, contact the Phrack staff via Phrack.org. They assist with co-authoring and English editing.
  • Volunteer: Help with article review, artwork, logistics, or fundraising. Phrack is volunteer-driven and community-funded.
  • Caution: Publishing or reproducing sensitive technical material may have legal and ethical implications — weigh risks and consult the editors if unsure.

Notable quotes / excerpts

  • From the Hacker Manifesto (excerpt read in the episode): “This is our world now—the world of the electron and the switch… We seek after knowledge and you call us criminals… I am a hacker, and this is my manifesto.”
  • Characterization: Phrack described as “condensed, hardcore technical articles without any bullshit” — practical and working content.

Episode & production notes

  • Host: Jack Rhysider (Darknet Diaries). Guests: Skyper and TMZ.
  • Sponsors mentioned in the episode: Vanta and DeleteMe (sponsor reads included).
  • Production: episode editing and mixing credits given in the outro.

Final summary

Phrack is a rare, persistent artifact of hacker culture: a volunteer-run, community-funded technical magazine that has influenced tools, techniques, careers, legal debates, and hacker identity for 40 years. Despite arrests, domain drama, internal schisms, and long dormant periods, the magazine keeps resurfacing because the community values a space to publish deep, practical technical research. If you want to read, print, or contribute, start at Phrack.org.