Linux’s latest vulnerability: Hit backspace 28 times, and you would gain access

[vgane]

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[h=1]Linux’s latest vulnerability: Hit backspace 28 times, and you would gain access[/h] December 20, 2015 Kishore Ganesh Leave a comment Edit

Linux is generally regarded as a stable and secure operating system when compared to Windows, which is comparatively more resource-intensive and less secure.


This is why Linux is used in supercomputers, servers, etc, because it is flexible while being more secure than Windows. One reason for Linux’s secure nature may perhaps be that Linux occupies a tiny section of the Desktop market, and so hackers don’t bother with trying to find vulnerabilities in Linux. However, Linux itself is built around security, while Windows is built around usability, and this may also be a reason for the difference.


However, recently, many dangerous Linux vulnerabilities have started popping up, and each of these vulnerabilities can compromise an entire system fairly easily. Now, a new vulnerability has emerged in Linux, which enables anyone to break into just about any Linux distribution (Specifically the ones using a GRUB 2 bootloader, which is right now the preferred bootloader for Linux distros) just by pressing the backspace key 28 times. This would trigger the Grub 2 Rescue Shell, from where you can issue commands to the system.


The key to this vulnerability is the memory error that occurs when you press the backspace key 28 times. Major Linux Distros have already patched this vulnerability, but smaller community-led distros may take more time in patching this.

What do you think?

http://techgeekforever.com/2015/12/...backspace-28-times-and-you-would-gain-access/

 

[auh]

Perhaps marketed vigorously by Ms since linux is open source...

 

[tks]

Linux offers evolutionary improvement over the original Unix system (which has been available as open source system) The design of Unix from the late 1970s is still the best Operating System in the world from the point of view of flexibility, innovation, performance and security. It was supporting multi user and multi tasking from the beginning. Windows 'achieved' this in late 1980s and still cannot match what Unix offers.

MS DOS (with direction from Bill Gates) copied the ideas in early 1980s but did a terrible job of implementation. However he was able to monetize it in the emerging PC market and make himself the richest person in the world. The vulnerabilities introduced back in 1980s set the stage of this culture of putting up with all these attacks, virus, trojans etc.

The unix system is unbreakable in its original design. The recent versions of Linus could have introduced this recent vulnerability.

Steve Jobs basically used Berkley version of Unix as the basis for the Apple product. Even today the core of the operating system of Apple products is Unix. Similarly Android is also built on Unix. One rarely hears about break ins and vulnerabilities in these systems though they are ubiquitous and are attractive targets for hackers and criminals.

Windows 10 has attempted improvements that are finally addressing some of the past vulnerabilities.