Runes of Magic US / AU

Definition Exploit

In computing, an exploit is an attack on a computer system,
especially one that takes advantage of a particular vulnerability that
the system offers to intruders. Used as a verb, the term refers to the
act of successfully making such an attack.


Many crackers (or hackers,
if you prefer that term) take pride in keeping tabs of such exploits
and post their exploits (and discovered vulnerabilities) on a Web site
to share with others.


Where an exploit takes advantage of a weakness in an operating system or vended application program, the owners of the system or application issue a "fix" or patch
in response. Users of the system or application are responsible for
obtaining the patch, which can usually be downloaded from the Web.
Failure to install a patch for a given problem exposes the user to a
security breach. (However, it can be difficult to keep up with all the
required patches.)
Definition Hacker

Hacker is a term used by some to mean "a clever programmer" and by others, especially those in
popular media, to mean "someone who tries to break into computer systems."


1) Eric Raymond, compiler of The New Hacker's Dictionary, defines a hacker as a clever programmer. A "good hack" is a clever
solution to a programming problem and "hacking" is the act of doing it. Raymond lists five possible
characteristics that qualify one as a hacker, which we paraphrase here:

• A person who enjoys learning details of a programming language or system
• A person who enjoys actually doing the programming rather than just theorizing about it
• A person capable of appreciating someone else's hacking
• A person who picks up programming quickly
• A person who is an expert at a particular programming language or system, as in "UNIX
  hacker"

Raymond deprecates the use of this term for someone who attempts to crack someone else's system
or otherwise uses programming or expert knowledge to act maliciously. He prefers the term cracker for
this meaning.


2) The term hacker is used in popular media to describe someone who attempts to break into
computer systems. Typically, this kind of hacker would be a proficient programmer or engineer with
sufficient technical knowledge to understand the weak points in a security system. For more on this
usage, see cracker.

Quoted from "Dangerdude"

How about this:

Hacker: One who uses a sharp weapon, such as a cleaver, to remove arms and legs and other body parts from a creature.

Would be nice if these hackers ran into one of those hackers lol.