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This is about a security problem I have encountered using either Linux Mint 19.1 or Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. Long story, short I ended up tracking newly created processes in my system. One day I discovered unexpected uses of screenshot every 10 minutes (process name: gnome-screenshot, parent pid=1). At the exact same time, wireshark showed me packet transfers to either 104.198.143.177 or 104.197.3.80 (connectivity-check.ubuntu.com). NetworkManager was the process which sent the packets and this functionality was enabled by a package called network-manager-config-connectivity-ubuntu.
Can we conclude this functionality is an issue?
The good news is Network Connectivity Checking can be turn off in Ubuntu 18.04 LTS omgubuntu.
Damn, that's frightening. Network connectivity checking I get, but why the need for a screenshot? I'd be searching for a new distro, posthaste. Oh wait, I no longer use Linux.
While it's a good beginners system I give them that, it's wayyyyyyyy too bloated for my personal liking, but each to their own...
that is exactly why I got away for it, having took it for a spin. I find to way too windowy to where it even interfears with other desktop / window managers one might add to it and use. Like I did.
Oh my, this seems to be a rather frightful behavior. Do we know anything about how it works or how it sends the screenshots for once? There are many here who use Ubuntu and Ubuntu-based distros, and although I personally don't use it, I don't speak for the others, should they know about this too?
(I wonder if distros like Trisquel would even be affected, considering that their first policy is to make everything free as in freedom)
This is about a security problem I have encountered using either Linux Mint 19.1 or Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. Long story, short I ended up tracking newly created processes in my system. One day I discovered unexpected uses of screenshot every 10 minutes (process name: gnome-screenshot, parent pid=1). At the exact same time, wireshark showed me packet transfers to either 104.198.143.177 or 104.197.3.80 (connectivity-check.ubuntu.com). NetworkManager was the process which sent the packets and this functionality was enabled by a package called network-manager-config-connectivity-ubuntu.
Can we conclude this functionality is an issue?
The good news is Network Connectivity Checking can be turn off in Ubuntu 18.04 LTS omgubuntu.
nihilnovi,
I did not find a, "Did you find this post helpful? section that I could click.
So, I just wanted you to know that your post was very helpful to me. I am starting to use Ubuntu and I do want to know what security issues, and other issues related to Ubuntu, in order to know the downside, and benefits, of Ubuntu and how to correct the issues that need corrected.
Keep us informed of any other issues that we need to be concerned about.
whois says:
NetRange: 104.196.0.0 - 104.199.255.255
NetName: GOOGLE-CLOUD
Comment: ** The IP addresses under this netblock are in use by Google Cloud customers **
I use Linux everywhere, but I stopped using anything Ubuntu based LONG ago. I do not trust them.
You might appreciate this quote then:
Quote:
While I understand your point of view, let me be a bit more verbose about mine.
Ubuntu is a corporation driven distribution and does not care about the free software or open source community (Greg K-H: “Ubuntu does not give back to the community“ on a kernel talk at google). While that alone is not a bad thing it completes the picture of Ubuntus goals (see bug #1 on ubuntu launchpad).
IMO, over the last few years Canonical has followed the exact same strategy of Microsoft: EEE (Embrace, Extend, Extinguish). That has shown in various ways where ubuntu has pushed technologies or created extensions (such as unity). The next step will be things like API war and might already start with the deal they have made with Valve.
Well, of course that is only guessing and I might be completely wrong.
But what is a fact is this: ubuntu has already betrayed it‘s users through their spying features and is clearly not aiming at full transparency and freedom as in free.
Because of this fact people should really think if this will remain the only occurence of nastyness. History has taught us and is telling us again right now that companies with that power and attitude will not stop at such a point, but just become more subtle. Free software for them is merely a utilty to build up to their own goals.
How can you trust someone who has already lied to you? What happened in Ubuntu is a very good reason to never trust them again as a whole, not just disregard a few features they provide. That would be inconsistent for people who appreciate free software and want control over what‘s happening on their computer.
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