Ghosts in the (Macintosh) ROM (2012)
A group at NYC Resistor found hidden images in Apple Mac SE ROM from 1986. They decoded distorted data, revealing pictures and assembly code, extracting four images and hinting at audio data.
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In 2012, a group at NYC Resistor discovered hidden images in the Apple Mac SE ROM. By analyzing the ROM dumps, they found distorted image data that, when decoded, revealed pictures of people with a hidden message dated November 20, 1986. The team extracted the ROM chips, expanded the address space, and merged the data to uncover more images. Through reverse engineering, they deciphered the assembly code and functions responsible for displaying the images. Using tools like objdump and python scripts, they reconstructed the images stored in the ROM as an easter egg. The team successfully identified and extracted four images, speculating about the individuals depicted and their current whereabouts. Additionally, they hinted at a fifth region in the ROM possibly containing audio data for future exploration. NYC Resistor, a hacker collective in Brooklyn, regularly collaborates on projects and fosters a community of knowledge sharing and innovation.
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10 commentsMy favorite one is the story of an engineer who hid an image of Paula Abdul on a CD-ROM (another version I heard was a ROM chip) without anyone’s knowledge. When the image was finally discovered production had already begun, making for a very expensive Easter egg to remove.
Ghosts in the rom - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4416032 - Aug 2012 (22 comments)
https://archive.org/details/SWIMDesignDocs/IOP%20serial%20dr...
"Help! Help! We're being held prisoner in a system software factory!"
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