RIP SSLv3
The Internet community officially banishes the notoriously unsafe Secure Sockets Layer protocol.
The venerable “secure” network protocol Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) v3 has met its end. SSL has co-existed on the Internet alongside its presumed successor TLS for many years, even though experts have long warned of its shortcomings. A recent rash of high-profile incidents, however, including the famous POODLE exploit, have finally caused the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to take action. Request for Comment (RFC) 7568 “Deprecating Secure Sockets Layer Version 3.0” officially states the requirement that SSLv3 should not be supported.
The RFC is unusually blunt, with its all-cap stipulation that “SSLv3 MUST NOT be used.” Although most systems today support the safer TLS, many provide fallback support for SSLv3 if an SSL connection is requested. Attackers have perfected the technique of requesting an SSL connection then use one of the many exploits associated with SSL. RFC 7568 states that “Any party receiving a Hello message with the version set to {3,00} MUST respond with a ‘protocol_version’ alert message and close the connection.”
Many OS and application vendors have already turned off support for SSLv3 through patches and security updates.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Digital Autonomy
• The Answer Was Already on the Shelf
• Changing the Chip Industry: How Public Investment Has Grown Open Silicon
• United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
• EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
• France Says “Au Revoir” to Microsoft
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
-
Pine64 Halts Production of Linux Devices
With continued DRAM and eMMC shortages, Pine64 has decided to discontinue production of Linux devices.
-
The Bullet-Proof KDE Software Initiative Is Coming
KDE, Techpaladin, and Kubuntu Focus have announced a new initiative that will provide at least three years of support for KDE Plasma 6.6 LTS and related software.
-
Linux Mint Shares a Possible Kernel Cleanup Solution
For those on Linux Mint who like to keep multiple kernels around but don't want them to take up too much space, you might be getting a new automated tool.
-
CachyOS Gets an Update
CachyOS August 2026 release is now available with the latest version of KDE, some new features, and plenty of improvements.
-
The Linux Kernel Dev Staging Area Now Rejects AI-Generated Patches
Unless a kernel patch is a valid security fix, it will be rejected if it was created using AI.
-
Linux Surpasses Double-Digit Market Share
According to two sources, the Linux operating system has hit a major milestone in market share that naysayers thought would never happen.
-
AI Helped Develop a Linux Exploit
A use-after-free race exploit was discovered and exploited on CentOS Stream 9.
-
Yet Another Linux Kernel Vulnerability Discovered
Affecting millions of systems, a kernel flaw discovered by Qualys could allow users to gain root privileges.
-
Ubuntu 26.10 to Include Ubuntu Certified Hardware Check
If you've ever wondered if your laptop or PC is officially certified to run Ubuntu, that curiosity will soon be met.
-
Substantial Update to IPFire Now Available
The lastest version of IPFire features a fundamental change to how the system handles DNS.