News about Linux security, security alerts and exploits

 Linux security idiots, Aug 28, 2008

There are some Linux system administrators out there who should be glad, very glad, they don't work for me because I'd be firing them today.

Canonical is the latest Linux vendor to patch a vulnerability in the open-source operating system's kernel that could have left the door open for hackers to find their way into users' machines.

McAfee has promised to help protect Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) running Moblin Linux from the dangers of the "open Internet." The security software vendor has also promised to deliver encryption software to protect data on stolen laptops that run Linux on Atom processors.

Opera Software ASA today patched seven vulnerabilities in its flagship Opera browser, but it declined to provide information about one of the bugs.

The majority of servers supporting the Fedora Linux distribution were back online on Tuesday following a mystery disruption.

Mozilla Messaging patched nine security vulnerabilities in Thunderbird yesterday, the first time it has plugged holes in the e-mail software since early May.

A popular distribution of the Linux open source operating system is vulnerable to hacks that could leave users' personal data exposed to identity thieves, according to IT consulting group Gartner.

A serious flaw in a widely-used cryptography library has seen users of several popular Linux distributions scrambling to fix the problem.

A Linux v Microsoft security debate at this year’s RSA Conference ended in a draw despite the two opposing experts failing to agree on a concurrent metrics system.

Linux servers infected with a mutating virus are commanding huge Windows botnets six years after the malware was discovered, according to security researchers.

Researchers at a major security vendor are exploring the extent to which Linux systems - especially servers - are involved in the botnet plague.

With open source that can be a very good thing since when security problems are found they can be fixed quickly. That's the case over this last weekend, Feb. 9-10, when a security problem was found, and given a hot fix, in the 2.6.17 to the most recent production Linux kernel, 2.6.24.1.

The CanSecWest security research conference promoters are thinking about giving hackers another shot at hacking a Mac, as well as Linux- and Windows-based PCs.

Windows Vista was hit by significantly fewer publicly disclosed security flaws in its first year than Windows XP and open source rivals in their first years, according to a report from Microsoft.

A mass attack ongoing for the past month against Linux Apache Web servers has become increasingly successful because its break-in method makes use of an automated password and installation process, according to a security researcher monitoring its progress.

Infected sites feed exploits to visitors--and more sites are affected than first suspected.

Popular open source projects such as Samba, the PHP, Perl, Tcl dynamic languages, and Amanda were all found to have dozens or hundreds of security exposures.

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