Definition
Plain language
A quick check that a system starts up and basically works.
As stated in the literature
A shallow post-deploy or post-build validation run confirming the service boots and core paths respond; because it starts real processes with real config, it can be the step that finally triggers a staged exfiltration.
Also called: smoke tests
Why it matters: It catches catastrophic breakage in seconds, but because it launches real processes with real configuration and credentials, it can also be the innocuous-looking step that finally sets a planted payload in motion.
For example, after deploying a new version of a website, a smoke test loads the homepage and the login page to confirm the service came up at all before anyone runs the full test suite.
Heard on the show
“Then it tries to start the service, gets blocked, and leaves the smoke test on the checklist.”Episode 269 — How a Forged Transcript Got Model Weights Past a Safety Monitor