oopsy, sent this a minute ago but bounced as I used the wrong email address to send from.
> On 09/10/06, Nik Butler <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I really want to know if any one has actually > suffered from and can in some way demonstrate to me the following. > > demonstrate a working Linux Virus that can > infect their Ubuntu desktop account ( and other users of that same > machine ) by being launched from a email attachment. > it must infect the core system files. > it must set up its own mail user agent which it uses to propogate > copies of itself to members of your address book. > it must attempt to replicate it self succesfully into another machines. Surely the only way to demonstrate it would be to knowingly infect your own machine? how stupid do you think I am I ain't about to do that! It is perfectly possible to write a Linux virus, once on the system with root privileges you can do pretty much anything. Problem is finding a venerability to use to propagate, the damn Linux people have this strange idea of patching things without waiting several weeks for a certain day of the month, how absurd to reduce the attack time! (note the sarcasm). I think someone made a multiplatform virus once. The only Linux one I've heard of is Bliss, and apparently that one disinfected itself, so polite of it. Google found this on Sophos antivirus website, the flaw was fixed over 4 years ago though. http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/linuxslappera.html symantec has LinuxRST.B http://www.symantec.com/security_response/writeup.jsp?docid=2004-052312-2729-99&tabid=1 I like the fact in their removal instructions it says the author may have been able to change anything on the machine so you should reinstall your OS, isn't that true of most Windows virus yet I've never seen them suggest a full OS reinstall for those? > final piece, I understand that the BBC is giving advice to users based > on established "popular" operating systems I am just always amazed they > dont suggest that people switch to something else. Especially since the news.bbc.co.uk website is running Apache on Linux! (according to netcraft.com http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph?site=news.bbc.co.uk ) This is what really annoys me abut the BBC, they use Open Source Free software, but block me from accessing content on their site if I choose to use Linux or other open source free software. And the fact I help fund the BBC (paying license fee) and they use my money to perform commercial marketing for Microsoft. Comment added to the "your comments" bit. - Andy > -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.kubuntu.org/UKTeam/
