Linux

48129 readers

430 users here now

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

Rules

Posts must be relevant to operating systems running the Linux kernel. GNU/Linux or otherwise.
No misinformation
No NSFW content
No hate speech, bigotry, etc

Related Communities

Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0

founded 5 years ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

Will antivirus be more significant on Linux desktop after this xz-util backdoor? (lemmy.world)

submitted 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

48 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I understand that no Operating System is 100% safe. Although this backdoor is likely only affects certain Linux desktop users, particularly those running unstable Debian or testing builds of Fedora (like versions 40 or 41), **Could this be a sign that antivirus software should be more widely used on Linux desktops? ** ( I know this time is a zero-day attack)

What if, malicious code like this isn't discovered until after it's released to the public? For example, imagine it was included in the initial release of Fedora 40 in April. What if other malware is already widespread and affects more than just SSH, unlike this specific case?

My point is,

Many people believe that Linux desktops don't require antivirus software.
Antivirus can at least stop malware once it's discovered.
Open-source software is protected by many parties, but a backdoor like this one, which reportedly took 2 years to plan and execute, raises my concern about being more cautious when choosing project code maintainers.
Linux desktops will likely be targeted by more attacks as they become more popular.

IMO, antivirus does not save stupid people(who blindly disable antivirus // grant root permission) but it does save some lazy people.

OS rely heavily on users practicing caution and up-to-date(both knowledge and the system). While many users don't follow tech news, they could unknowingly be running (this/any) malware without ever knowing. They might also neglect system updates, despite recommendations from distro maintainers.

This is where antivirus software can be useful. In such cases, users might be somewhat protected once the backdoor signature is added to the antivirus database.

Thankfully, the Linux community and Andres Freund responded quickly to this incident.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] [email protected] 21 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

By the way, all Fedora packages are scanned with ClamAV as part of bodhi tests. Here’s the test matrix where xz 5.6.0 passed the scan, and would have allowed the exploit in for the F40 beta if it wasn’t obsoleted by another build where the vulnerability’s mechanism was disabled because it triggered valgrind failures in other software.

Sure, there’s more sophisticated AV software out there, but at the end of the day, the F40 beta was temporarily saved because of luck, the beta freeze period, and valgrind. The ecosystem as a whole was saved because “Jia Tan” wasn’t aware that making Postgres run slightly slower immediately raises alarm bells.