Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Kernel Privilege Escalation Has One Linux Maintainer Contemplating a 'Kill Switch'Back-to-back kernel vulnerabilities in Linux has defenders scrambling to apply defenses in the age of quick turnaround time for hackers to exploit nascent flaws. "Dirty Frag" and "Copy Fail" kernel privilege escalation vulnerabilities became public knowledge within two weeks of each other.

No Patches Yet Available, After Third Party Published Vulnerability DetailsSecurity researchers have discovered a new, critical flaw in the Linux kernel that attackers can exploit to gain root access. No patches are yet available to fix "Dirty Frag," the second new local privilege escalation flaw to be found in two weeks, following the similar "Copy Fail" vulnerability.

Race-Condition Bugs in Ubuntu and Red Hat Tools Could Leak Sensitive Memory DataHackers could exploit a tool that stores crashed system data in older Linux operating systems to obtain passwords and encryption keys, warn researchers. The flaw lies in the way certain Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, Red Hat, and Fedora, handle application crashes.

Exploitation Requires Victim to Print On Rogue PrinterAttackers can exploit a series of vulnerabilities in the OpenPrinting Common Unix Printing System utility to remotely execute arbitrary code on certain machines. Major Linux distributions reacted Friday by releasing patches. Exploitation requires a victim to attempt to print from a malicious device.

RAT Is Tailored to Exploit Vulnerabilities in Linux Kernel VersionsHackers targeted telecommunications companies in Thailand with a Linux remote access Trojan designed to attack different versions of the open-source kernel, researchers say. Dubbed "Krasue," the malware poses a "severe risk to critical systems and sensitive data," says Group-IB researchers.

Kinsing Threat Actor Observed Targeting Vulnerable Cloud Environments With New FlawThe Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is requiring federal agencies to patch Linux devices on their networks and urging private sector organizations to do the same after security researchers observed threat actors exploiting a new vulnerability on many major Linux distributions.