Linux is an open-source operating system used across servers and devices, so kernel, distribution, and software vulnerabilities can affect deployed systems.
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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 newly emerged ransomware actively targets both Windows and Linux systems with a double-extortion approach.
The maintainers of Free Download Manager (FDM) have acknowledged a security incident dating back to 2020 that led to its website being used to distribute malicious Linux software
The developers of Free Download Manager (FDM) have published a script to check if a Linux device was infected through a recently reported supply chain attack. [...]
"SprySOCKS" melds features from multiple previously known badware and adds to the threat actor's growing malware arsenal, Trend Micro says.
The new backdoor is being used by Earth Lusca to conduct cyber-espionage campaigns, primarily against governments in Asia and the Balkans
The China-linked threat actor known as Earth Lusca has been observed targeting government entities using a never-before-seen Linux backdoor called SprySOCKS
Microsoft has released Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) 2.0.0 with a set of new opt-in experimental features, including a new network mode and automated memory and disk size cleanup. [...]
A Chinese espionage-focused hacker tracked as 'Earth Lusca' was observed targeting government agencies in multiple countries, using a new Linux backdoor dubbed 'SprySOCKS.' [...]
While monitoring Earth Lusca, we discovered an intriguing, encrypted file on the threat actor's server — a Linux-based malware, which appears to originate from the open-source Windows backdoor Trochilus, which we've dubbed SprySOCKS due to its swift behavior and SOCKS implementation