The ZIP algorithm can compress repetitive data (like a file filled entirely with zeros) extremely efficiently. A 10 GB file of zeros can be compressed into a few megabytes.
Here is a deep report on its mechanics, purpose, and mitigation: 1. What is it?
The file is built by compressing a set of files that are themselves compressed, repeating this process -levels deep.
The most infamous example, 42.zip , is a 42-kilobyte file that, when fully extracted, expands to 4.5 petabytes (
A tiny compressed file (often only a few kilobytes or megabytes in size) that expands into a gargantuan amount of data (petabytes, exabytes, or "infinite" space) upon extraction.