How to write a Linux virus in 5 easy steps Feb 11, 2009, 13 :32 UTC (32 Talkback[s]) (12253 reads)
"I will show how it is possible in a few easy steps to write a perfectly valid email borne virus for modern desktop Linux. I will do so not because I want to put down Linux. Quite the opposite: I like and support Linux, which is all I'm running at home and at work. I'm a big supporter of free and open software as readers of this blog will know. But if there are any security risks, even in my favorite OS or distribution then they will need to be discussed. Even more important: A false sense of security is worse than a lack of security. And unsubstantiated claims of superiority don't help in a reasonable discussion either.
"Some notes before we get started
I should point out: The vulnerabilities we will be taking advantage of are 'features' of the most popular modern Linux desktop environments, Gnome and KDE. The actual core of Linux itself does not have any of these vulnerabilities. A Linux (or any other *nix) system without running Gnome or KDE will not exhibit any of these problems, which is one of the huge advantages of properly separating the core OS from other applications such as the desktop environment."
