Re: [gentoo-user] Linux viruses

[Dale]

Alan McKinnon wrote:
> On 08/07/2013 15:24, Dale wrote:
>> Walter Dnes wrote:
>>> On Fri, Jul 05, 2013 at 05:21:25PM -0500, Dale wrote
>>>
>>>> Well, no Wine here.  So that won't happen.  Actually, I don't have a
>>>> copy of windoze here at all.  Neither of my two rigs have ever had
>>>> windoze installed on them at all.
>>>>
>>>> BTW, I have been known to open those attachments before. I usually open
>>>> them with kwrite or something and try to see what is human readable in
>>>> there.  Most is machine language but there is usually a small portion
>>>> that is human readable.  They sent it and I'm nosy that way.  lol
>>>   The bad guys go after the "low hanging fruit", i.e. the easiest
>>> targets.  Years ago, it was Internet Explorer.  This also included
>>> Outlook and Outlook Express, which were glorified IE frontends.  There
>>> were many "drive-by-downloads", thanks to Active-X (aka "Active-Hacks").
>>>
>>>   MS has gotten its act together on IE, so the bad guys are now going
>>> after other stuff.  The "other stuff" is cross-platform stuff like Java
>>> and Javascript and Adobe Acrobat and Flash (known affectionately as
>>> "Schlockwave Trash").  So yes... it can happen here.
>>>
>>>   I've been Java-free for years.  I use Noscript and Flashblock on
>>> Firefox.  I keep Opera around for those sites that don't work on
>>> Firefox.  I also use mupdf instead of the bloated Acrobat Reader
>>> monstrosity.
>>>
>>
>> Questions.  Can a virus infect the OS when running on Linux through
>> java/javascript/flash?
> Yes. If you can get the payload to run, then that code will run and will
> do whatever the environment it is in will let it do.
>
>> Or would the infection at the least be limited
>> to that user?
> That's the normal case, but by no means the only one.
>
> If you have sudoers set up to run any command as root without using a
> password, well then....
>
>> How is html5 going to affect this?  Better or worse?
>
> I think you need to gain a deeper understanding of how computer software
> works Dale. You are asking black/white questions, and the world just is
> not like that. It's all grey.
>
> These questions do not have simple answers. Windows well-deserved it's
> bad rep from many years ago - that came not from bad security or
> loopholes but more from the simple fact that early Windows had no
> security to speak of. It wasn't poor locks, there just wasn't a lock,
> not a door ... oh stuff it there wasn't even a wall to put the door in
> for many years!
>
> Things have vastly improved now and Windows in the hands of someone with
> clue rates about the same as (more-or-less conventional) Linux in the
> hands of someone with clue.
>
> Lastly, gaining root permissions is no longer the holy grail it used to
> be. Nowadays first prize is ability to send mail through your mail
> accounts, access your browsing history, and get into your password
> wallet. All of which by their very nature, MUST be accessible to the
> user's account.
>
>

I'm getting there Alan.  I'm always learning something.  It's retaining
it that is the issue.  ;-)

Dale

:-)  :-) 

-- 
I am only responsible for what I said ... Not for what you understood or how you interpreted my words!