Linux Format forums

Rhakios · Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 8:17 pm Post subject: Pathetic news story of the week

My nomination for pathetic news story of the week goes to The H, for this story.

It seems that we must all quake in our boots at the thought that Linux is vulnerable to USB drives carrying malware. All we need to do is, fail to keep our systems up to date, disable a couple of security mechanisms, and insert the specially crafted drive.

To be fair, the security specialist must have started work on this before the vulnerability in Evince was fixed and says he can get around the two mechanisms without disabling them manually beforehand. And he has so much confidence in his ability to do this, that he is happy to tell his audience about, but not actually demonstrate it.

I have no doubt that Linux is vulnerable in a number of ways, especially through methods designed to gull the careless user, but please, please, please, can we just have someone demonstrate something that works properly without resorting to "fixes" to get things going. Otherwise, this just reads like pathetic scaremongering.
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Bazza · Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 9:22 pm Post subject:

Hi Rhakios...

> And he has so much confidence in his ability to do this, that
> he is happy to tell his audience about, but not actually
> demonstrate it.

Yeah I noticed that too.

My Windies box caught a Virus/Worm/Whatever last night.

Didn`t bother me much, soon got rid of it...
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LeeNukes · Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 9:47 pm Post subject:

Still interesting, but as with most things, if someone has physical access to the system, consider it compromised.
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wyliecoyoteuk · Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 10:02 pm Post subject:

As always, if you have system which has oit been updated for 6 months, do this...and this... and click on this... you perhaps get Linux virus or malware.

Whereas windows systems get viruses just by being connected or browsing a web page. meh

I know Linux us NOT invulnerable but really...
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nelz · Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 10:29 pm Post subject:

bobthebob1234 · Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 11:33 pm Post subject:

or drop them around. Its amazing what curiosity will make people do.
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Dutch_Master · LXF regular Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:49 am Posts: 2359

And even then: how can you be sure that stick is found by someone who uses Linux, hasn't updated for ages, is stupid enough do follow the instructions w/o knowing what they are and keep the stick inserted when he finds it's infected...? I think you'd have a better chance winning the lottery Wink

Rhakios · Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 6:55 am Post subject:

Ram · Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 10:33 am Post subject:

nelz · Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 10:38 am Post subject:

Bazza · Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 12:20 pm Post subject:

Hi nelz...

> Never underestimate stupidity.

Guilty as charged m`lud.
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Rhakios · Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 6:04 pm Post subject:

nelz · Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 9:23 am Post subject:

Weren't those security features enabled quite recently? Meaning anything not up to date is vulnerable.
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Rhakios · Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 11:18 am Post subject:

nelz · Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 12:56 pm Post subject:

Ah yes, I'd forgotten that it needed AppArmor turning off.
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