Linux

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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.

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Are there any examples of Linux (desktop) viruses that are actively or were recently in circulation? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 1 day ago by monovergent@lemmy.ml to c/linux@lemmy.ml

11 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Or historical exploits/trojans/etc. that deserve more attention? I've mostly heard about lucrative vulnerabilities that concern Linux servers, but what about the end-users on desktops? Or is the Linux desktop market small enough that we mostly just see one-off instances of users blindly running malicious scripts?

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[–] SmoochyPit@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I haven’t heard of any such cases, but it is a smaller pool of users. Also, many desktop Linux users know more about using a computer than other operating system users, since it’s less common for Linux to come preinstalled. So that may affect it, too.

I imagine vulnerabilities with the Linux kernel or common utilities do apply to desktop users as well, which is a good reminder why staying up-to-date is important. But to my understanding, exploiting remotely would need a way of sending data to the target. And most desktop computers won’t have ports open to the internet for anyone like servers will.

I know that Wayland’s design does make it more difficult for a user-mode program to act maliciously, like as key-loggers or reading the clipboard.

[–] greywolf0x1@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 hours ago

that Wayland’s design does make it more difficult for a user-mode program to act maliciously,

Sorry, can you tell me more about this?

[–] Quazatron@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

smaller pool of desktop users

~~There, I fixed it for you.~~

This is about desktop Linux, so I was wrong to correct you. My bad.

[–] SmoochyPit@lemmy.ca 1 points 14 hours ago

All good! You're still totally right; outside of the context, Linux has quite the user base with servers, embedded devices, and even phones, if we count Android. I think that’s relevant because it means we can’t rely on “security by obscurity”.