Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb Present participle of war-dial.
  • noun The practice of having a computer dial large numbers of telephone numbers in search of devices that can be exploited, such as fax machines or modems.
  • noun A similar practice in other address spaces, such as IP addresses.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Reference to the 1983 movie Wargames, which featured the practice.

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Examples

  • The significance of the date is not lost on the organizers of the war-dialing effort.

    Death Panels for Terrorists! 2009

  • Kirby Dick hires a likable middle-aged lesbian private eye who stakes out the MPAA's LA headquarters, writing down license plate numbers and war-dialing the MPAA voicemail system until she gets the names and addresses of all the "parents" on the ratings committee, some of whom are childless, or with grown children.

    - Boing Boing 2006

  • Kirby Dick hires a likable middle-aged lesbian private eye who stakes out the MPAA's LA headquarters, writing down license plate numbers and war-dialing the MPAA voicemail system until she gets the names and addresses of all the "parents" on the ratings committee, some of whom are childless, or with grown children.

    AKMA’s Random Thoughts 2006

  • Now, start war-dialing SBC customers looking for phone numbers with the default password in place.

    Boing Boing: April 13, 2003 - April 19, 2003 Archives 2003

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