Linux is an open-source operating system used across servers and devices, so kernel, distribution, and software vulnerabilities can affect deployed systems.
Search across headline titles and summaries.
Background for this topic.
Linux is an open-source operating-system kernel: privileged software that manages hardware, memory, processes, filesystems, and networking. Most deployments use it through a distribution that adds user-space tools, package managers, libraries, and an update policy. This distinction matters in security reporting: a kernel flaw, a distribution-package flaw, and a flaw in an application running on Linux may have different affected versions and fixes.
Material attack surfaces include kernel code, loadable modules and device drivers, network services, local privilege boundaries, and third-party packages. Vulnerabilities can enable denial of service, information disclosure, or escalation from an unprivileged account to root, depending on configuration and exploitability. Administrators should track upstream and distribution advisories, apply security updates, and reboot when a running kernel remains vulnerable. Mandatory access-control systems such as SELinux or AppArmor can restrict compromised processes; signed repositories, audit logs, and tested configuration baselines support package integrity and investigation. Open source does not itself guarantee security: exposure depends on code, configuration, maintenance, and the surrounding software stack.
The North Korean hacker group Kimsuki has been using a new Linux malware called Gomir that is a version of the GoBear backdoor delivered via trojanized software installers. [...]
The North Korean hacker group Kimsuki has been using trojanized software packages to deliver a new Linux malware called Gomir in cyberespionage campaigns against targets in South Korea. [...]
A malware botnet known as 'Ebury' has infected almost 400,000 Linux servers since 2009, with roughly 100,000 still compromised as of late 2023. [...]