He was eating spicy corn chips. They were a nuclear power. He won. 🍿🇰🇵 We investigate the story of P4x, the independent hacker who single-handedly took down North Korea's internet. We break down how he was targeted by state-sponsored spies trying to steal his software, and how the FBI's refusal to help led him to launch a vigilante "Hack Back" operation that disconnected an entire nation.

1. The "Lazarus" Target: They picked the wrong nerd. We analyze the provocation. We discuss how North Korean hackers targeted P4x (a security researcher) to steal his vulnerability tools. We explain his frustration when the FBI acknowledged the attack but offered no recourse, leaving him to feel like a "soft target".

2. The Automated Takedown: Scripting a blackout. We expose the method. We discuss how P4x found ancient, unpatched software (like Nginx) in North Korea's digital border. We explain how he wrote a script to automate Denial of Service attacks, effectively shutting down the country's web traffic while he sat on his couch watching the movie Alien.

3. The Fragile Kingdom: Why was it so easy? We explore the infrastructure. We reveal that North Korea's entire internet relies on just two routers connecting to China Unicom. We discuss the FUNK Project ("F--- You North Korea") and the dangerous ethical line of private citizens starting cyber wars with rogue nations.

The full list of sources used to create this episode can be found on our Patreon under https://www.patreon.com/c/Morgrain