Kernel 2.6 rootkits and the quest for Linux security
BREAKING IN AND KEEPING OUT
Your Linux system may not be so airtight after all. To understand the threats, you need to think like an intruder. We'll show you what the intruders are thinking now about the Linux 2.6 kernel.
Of all the most devilish creations in the history of cyber crime, the rootkit is perhaps the most ingenious. A rootkit is a bundle of tools for the network intruder. An attacker who gains access to a computer can upload the rootkit and use the tools to gain control of the system. One interesting aspect of a rootkit is its ability to cover the intruder’s tracks. Doctored-up versions of common monitoring utilities such as netstat and ps hide any sign of the attack. Many, many rootkits were copied onto many computers around the world. But eventually, developers and security specialists grew wise to the ways of user space rootkits. Experts learned to detect the intruder’s presence by looking behind the standard Unix tools for evidence of changes. But rather than giving up, the intruders went on to something new. The kernel rootkit is a new generation of intrusion tool that weaves itself into the Linux system at a very deep level – below the reach of any userland detection tools. Armed with the kernel rootkit, the intruders again gained the upper hand – at least temporarily.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Latest Cinnamon Desktop Releases with a Bold New Look
Just in time for the holidays, the developer of the Cinnamon desktop has shipped a new release to help spice up your eggnog with new features and a new look.
-
Armbian 24.11 Released with Expanded Hardware Support
If you've been waiting for Armbian to support OrangePi 5 Max and Radxa ROCK 5B+, the wait is over.
-
SUSE Renames Several Products for Better Name Recognition
SUSE has been a very powerful player in the European market, but it knows it must branch out to gain serious traction. Will a name change do the trick?
-
ESET Discovers New Linux Malware
WolfsBane is an all-in-one malware that has hit the Linux operating system and includes a dropper, a launcher, and a backdoor.
-
New Linux Kernel Patch Allows Forcing a CPU Mitigation
Even when CPU mitigations can consume precious CPU cycles, it might not be a bad idea to allow users to enable them, even if your machine isn't vulnerable.
-
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.5 Released
Notify your friends, loved ones, and colleagues that the latest version of RHEL is available with plenty of enhancements.
-
Linux Sees Massive Performance Increase from a Single Line of Code
With one line of code, Intel was able to increase the performance of the Linux kernel by 4,000 percent.
-
Fedora KDE Approved as an Official Spin
If you prefer the Plasma desktop environment and the Fedora distribution, you're in luck because there's now an official spin that is listed on the same level as the Fedora Workstation edition.
-
New Steam Client Ups the Ante for Linux
The latest release from Steam has some pretty cool tricks up its sleeve.
-
Gnome OS Transitioning Toward a General-Purpose Distro
If you're looking for the perfectly vanilla take on the Gnome desktop, Gnome OS might be for you.