Possible parsing dos problem

[rskaliotis]

Configuration Information:
Machine: i686
OS: linux-gnu
Compiler: gcc
Compilation CFLAGS:  -DPROGRAM='bash' -DCONF_HOSTTYPE='i686' 
-DCONF_OSTYPE='linux-gnu' -DCONF_MACHTYPE='i686-pc-linux-gnu' 
-DCONF_VENDOR='pc' -DSHELL -DHAVE_CONFIG_H  -D_GNU_SOURCE  -I.  -I. -I./include 
-I./lib -O2 -march=i386 -mcpu=i686
uname output: Linux gonzo 2.4.21-pre5-ac3 #4 Fri Apr 25 23:30:52 EDT 2003 i686 
unknown
Machine Type: i686-pc-linux-gnu

Bash Version: 2.05a
Patch Level: 0
Release Status: release

Description:

The string :(){ :|:;:&};: causes problems when run in a bash shell. The error
message "bash: fork: Resource temporarily unavailable" is displayed until you
kill the "script." While this is running, it appears to be a DOS attack
preventing every other user on the machine from running commands. This works
even if you are not root.


Repeat-By:

Run :(){ :|:;:&};: in a bash shell.