Linux network worm…
There is a linux network worm (virus) in the wild, which I’ve mentioned already in an earlier post. I did want to take a few moments to highlight this and dispell a few myths. (This is the first linux virus I recall seeing over at SARC in the last couple years….) Myth #1) linux doesn’t get viruses…. bull, this current worm is proof. Myth #2) if linux had bigger market share there would be tons of linux viruses – Maybe, but remember that much of the internet’s backbone runs on linux (all the machines at my providers webhosting company and indeed MANY others)
For starters, linux does get viruses, but the unix/linux environment seems to be more hostile as I could count on probably one hand the number of viruses I’ve heard about affecting linux in the last 10 years (let’s not count the windows virus that somebody discovered they could run under wine if they really tried…) One reason I see linux as being more hostile is the variety of software components. Let’s face it if there’s a vulnerability in a current Windows component it likely affects all previous OS versions (if the compenent was around) and that accounts for ~90% of the DESKTOP market. If there’s a vulnerability affecting (in this case) php it requires that the victim be running 1)linux, 2)a webserver, 3)php and 4) a vulnerable php script. And if it’s only a certain version of PHP, then that narrows down the affected systems even more. The variety of “blends” of linux systems and software makes widespread virus outbreaks ala Windows much more difficult to pull off.
The securityfocus site has details on the vulnerability (from several months back) including affected and unaffected programs (at that time.) I don’t know but suspect that any current cms/blogging tool versions (not on the affected list) have been patched for this (I know WordPress 1.5.2 is not vulnerable to this particular bug.) In other words it looks as though you will be unaffected if you’ve already done what you should and kept your software up-to-date on security patches/fixes.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Related Posts - HP virus throttler available for Linux HP will be making their virus throttler software avialable for Linux. Their virus throttler software detects compromised machines on a network, mails the administrator and throttles network connections to the machine, attempting to minimize the impact of the viral outbreak. (It seems as though it would be especially useful against......
- A virus writer talks.... Along the lines of "Wishlist of Spyware Slime" that I referred to last week, it appears there's a chat transcript out from before the arrest of the suspected writer of the mytob and zotob worms. The security fix has the details. Among other things there are mentions of a profit......
- Park Your Virus Impervious Smugness Mac (and Linux) Users [/caption] I use linux. I prefer it over Windows for many reasons. It's more resistant to viruses, less of a target, but that doesn't mean that malware or other viruses are impossible. If someone were to trick me into running something and even worse, trick me into using my administrator......
Related Websites - My Take on Windows Vista When I bought my laptop (my first and only laptop by the way...), it came pre-installed with Windows Vista Home Premium. And being a Windows user all my life, I had my qualms and doubts. You probably know of BSOD (blue screen of death) and the many viruses directed at......
- How To Save $100-$1,000 By Troubleshooting Your Faulty Computer “Oh, wow. Looks like it’s completely dead! At this point, it’s not even worth saving. You might as well just buy a new computer.” “Really, we can’t just fix it? It’s only 2 years old!” Have you ever had that conversation before? It’s pretty common at retail establishments like Best......
- Review of Windows Live Writer When you find a tool that makes life easier, there is nothing more exciting. The need for corporations to simplify and systematize their processes has to do with working smart and taking advantage of things that allow workers to reach their goals without having to work quite as hard. One......
Similar Posts
- Zotob worm bites big media outlets
- Out of Cycle Windows Update – Patch Today
- Viral turf war
- Zotob.b may be affecting some XP SP2/2003 installs
- Zeroday Internet Explorer vulnerability update