Phrack has always been a space where hackers teach hackers. Forty years on, the mission hasn’t changed – it’s only grown stronger. This article aims to spread the word about Phrack magazine and encourage new authors to contribute in the future.
Enjoy!
A Brief History of the Underground
Phrack Magazine is a core piece of hacker history, shaping computer security for 40 years. It started in 1985, when enthusiasts explored phone systems to make free calls and set the standard for underground technical writing. All of it began with articles on phone phreaking and bulletin board systems, then expanded to network technology, mobile phones, and the internet. It introduced “The Hacker Manifesto,” shared work on buffer overflows, and showcased early scanning methods that inspired tools like Nmap. Each issue reflected changes in technology and showed how hackers adapted and solved problems.
Today, Phrack remains a trusted source – its direct, community-driven content is easy to find and always meaningful for hackers.
A Milestone 40th Anniversary #Phrack72
Phrack 72 dropped in August 2025, celebrating the magazine’s 40th anniversary with a global release at three big conferences:
- DEF CON in Vegas,
- HOPE in New York,
- WHY2025 in the Netherlands.
The anniversary issue was a big deal, not just for what it represented, but also for its content. With 16 main articles and 8 line noise pieces, it turned out to be one of the largest issues ever.
The team put together 15,000 physical copies to distribute at conferences worldwide, proving that hacker culture is still extremely popular.
The Success Behind Four Decades
Phrack has been around for 40 years, and it wouldn’t have made it this far without the hard work of the Phrack Staff. But as they pointed out in their WHY2025 talk, the real reason for the magazine’s success comes from its authors – the hackers who’ve shared their knowledge over the years.
The magazine operates on a simple but powerful principle: it is written by hackers, for hackers.
AFINE’s Contribution to Phrack Magazine
AFINE is part of that story and appears in Phrack 72 as an author in the 40th‑anniversary set, contributing macOS research to the issue. This kind of work shows what Phrack has always cared about – clear steps, easy-to-follow ideas, and useful tools that other hackers can use and improve.
If you are interested in macOS/iOS driver hacking, make sure you check Mapping IOKit Methods Exposed to User Space on macOS.
Call for Papers
Phrack values unique content that brings fresh perspectives to existing techniques, introduces entirely new concepts, or does things with systems that aren’t written in any manual. The submissions don’t need to be perfect when first submitted – the editorial team works collaboratively with authors to refine articles throughout the review process.
If there is a single actionable takeaway, it is this: submit your work to issue 73 and beyond. Let’s push it for the next 40 years!
The Future of Phrack Magazine
Forty years says the format works, the signal is still strong – help keep it that way for the next forty. The tradition will last only if researchers continue to send work. Send something for Phrack. Then help someone else do the same. Thank you to the Phrack Staff and to the authors who keep the magazine alive.
Now it’s time to write the next chapter. Curiosity cannot be killed!
Karol Mazurek
Head of Research
