Linux infection proves Windows malware monopoly is over

[Robert P. J. Day]

On Mon, 14 Jun 2010, Michael Lauzon wrote:

> Well, isn't this an interesting turn of events:
>
> "Every time I write about Windows security software, I get a
> predictable flood of responses from Linux advocates who claim that
> they don’t need any such protection. Today comes a shining example
> of why they’re wrong.
>
> "If you downloaded and installed the open-source Unreal IRC server in
> the last 8 months or so, you’ve been pwned. Here’s the official
> announcement:
>
> 'Hi all,
>
> 'This is very embarrassing…
>
> 'We found out that the Unreal3.2.8.1.tar.gz file on our mirrors has
> been replaced quite a while ago with a version with a backdoor
> (trojan) in it.
>
> 'This backdoor allows a person to execute ANY command with the
> privileges of the user running the ircd. The backdoor can be
> executed regardless of any user restrictions (so even if you have
> passworded server or hub that doesn’t allow any users in).'"
>
> http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/linux-infection-proves-windows-malware-monopoly-is-over/2206

  oh, for the love of mutt -- that's not an indictment of the security
of OSS, it's an indictment of the badness of insecure servers.

rday

p.s.  it would be deliciously ironic if the server(s) that were hacked
to allow the above were running windows.


-- 

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Robert P. J. Day                               Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA

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