Linux - SecurityThis forum is for all security related questions.
Questions, tips, system compromises, firewalls, etc. are all included here.
Notices
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.
Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.
Get a virtual cloud desktop with the Linux distro that you want in less than five minutes with Shells! With over 10 pre-installed distros to choose from, the worry-free installation life is here! Whether you are a digital nomad or just looking for flexibility, Shells can put your Linux machine on the device that you want to use.
Exclusive for LQ members, get up to 45% off per month. Click here for more info.
Linux is a fast moving target. Also it's not like windows where everything is hidden. When an exploit of some kind shows up people are immediately figuring out ways to close the hole not trying (like MS) to say the hole doesn't exist.
The Linux community at least in my experience puts a much higher value on creation than destruction. Helping each other is part of the whole deal.
Just look at this forum all these people taking their time out to help each other. We are a bunch of individuals who together are doing something great.
yea that article points out a huge thing.
the dangers inherent in any monoculture !
monoculture in agriculture invites disease and pest imbalances.
genetic engineered monoculture even spreads the damage beyond the monoculture system and begins to effect and destroy the surrounding healthy landscape.
lack of diversity of use in a downtown economic environment causes failed buisnesses and invites vagrants and crime.
microsoft as a concept is akin to the "new garden city" concept in city planning.
they move the diversity say of a poor but fully functional happy and colorfull safe urban neighborhood into the "new garden building project" surrounding a "park" that makes all the planners go so gaga (depicted so clearly by the park sceen on the front of windows. (a window to a "new garden park").
where would you like to go today ?
sudenly there is no economic activity and the lovely "park" is full of dangerous crack dealers and everyone is afraid to go out of their house..
i wont say that linux is virus free. there can never be a software which will not have vulnerabilities that can be exploited and linux is no different.
linux definitely has fewer virsus when compared to windows. this is becoz linux is open source and hence any vulnerability is immediately fixed and the fixing is not done by a company. instead, its done by communities. so a single organisation is not responsible for fixing them unlike windows where u depend only on microsoft.
also, linux comes in many flavours. this discourages the virus coders as they have to write a code for each distro becoz each distro has different configurations and file organising structure.
the only way to exploit linux is to somehow get access as root which is something thats not easily possible.
the final point, linux is still not in the mainstream among computer users. so why write a virus which will affect only a few computers. anyone will prefer to target windows which is more dominant and a lot more easier to exploit.
is linux virus free because of the fle system structure.
I have a doubt.
I have studied that there are some loop holes in the file system structure. Like opt and var.....
perhaps linux is virus/worm free right now, but it's not immune or anything like that... don't worry, we'll get hit hard sooner or later, it's just a matter of time... running happily will be the servers of admins who took precautions beforehand... joining botnets will be the servers of admins who thought linux was untouchable...
Quote:
Originally Posted by arunvk
the only way to exploit linux is to somehow get access as root
that might be correct as far as the underlying OS itself is concerned, but it should also be mentioned that you don't need to be root to delete all of someone's documents, or to send a million SPAMs per hour from their box, etc...
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.