Really 'dumb' question: why does Linux have viruses? linux virus,linux malware

[JeffM]

Really 'dumb' question: Could RayLopez99 now list one currently
active virus that I can download and infect a patched Linux PC.

....or even one that the ESET "Linux anti-virus" looks for.

The notion of a (for-profit) corporation selling such a product
reminds me of the guy who bought a magic stone
to carry with him to keep away tigers.
So far, no tigers within 20 miles.
(Note: The product isn't available in Siberia or Bengal.)

The ONLY need for an anti-whatever app on a Linux box
is to catch files with WINDOZE-SPECIFIC infections.
(if the box is a relay point for such files, e.g. a mail server
or a habitual sharer of files from who-knows-where).

Several years back, I remember reading on Slashdot
about a company that ran all Linux boxes.
Their customers started bitching at them
about getting infections from the company's server.
It had never occurred to them to
scan the content passing thru their system for Windoze badware
as none of their own boxes had ever flinched whatsoever.

 

[FromTheRafters]

Hahaha! Good one Big Steel. That's right, Dustin is a clown who has
written viruses for fun inbetween his real job working as one of the
leading programmers in the world. Chris Ahlstrom is so dumb that (as
he admitted in COLA) he once gave out vital personal information about
his teenage daughter and his wife to an internet stalker. Or at least
that was the impression I got. A real family man, Piss Angstrom is.

 

[FromTheRafters]

But there was a Windows variant many moon sago that got me once (and
I'm smarter than you) that said "if you have this system file,
XYZ.sys, delete it since it is a virus"--I did so, making a backup
copy of the file, thinking I could restore the system, and ended up
having to do a clean reinstall. But it was a home system where I had
backed-up the data so I lost nothing but half a day reinstalling.

One of these?

sulfnbk.exe - Long Filename support file - Icon looked like a blackboard
with writing on it. This one was first, and unlike the other one this
one was a needed file.

<http://www.symantec.com/security_response/writeup.jsp?docid=2001-042411-3943-99&tabid=2>

jdbgmgr.exe - Java Debug Manager - Teddy bear Icon. The Bugbear worm was
active during this time which made the threatening teddy seem to
substantiate the hoax.

<http://www.symantec.com/security_response/writeup.jsp?docid=2002-041208-2143-99&tabid=2>

 

[FromTheRafters]

...or even one that the ESET "Linux anti-virus" looks for.

http://go.eset.com/us/threat-center/threatsense-updates/search?q=linux

 

[Kleuskes & Moos]

That's so true Dustin. Linux is 'security by obscurity', with market
share being the obscurity.

A market share of nearly 70% where it matters: servers and mobiles and
security by opennes, as in Open Source and (optionally) hardened by the
NSA.

At one time people suggested using Firefox
because it had less market share than MSFT IE, and so fewer browser
exploits, but that advantage faded as soon as they picked up market
share.

It still beats the crap out of browsers which

a) do not conform to standards (like IE)
b) are vulnerable to "drive-by-downloads"
c) has security updates about once or twice a year which (mostly) get
ignored by ignorant users.

BTW I did not know you could run a browser with elevated privileges
(administrator rights).

You can, but it's unwise.

As for viruses or malware, the latest episode for me on W7 was when, as
you suggest, I foolishly ran an executable found on an external HD that
was a virus--no fault then of Windows.

Sure it was. the OS should never allow you to run software from external
(i.e. untrusted) storage. One hurray for POSIX's proper access control!

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< I know how to do SPECIAL EFFECTS!! >
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( Y )
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[Ezekiel]

On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:45:53 -0700, RayLopez99 wrote:


A market share of nearly 70% where it matters: servers and mobiles...

What makes you think that Linux has a 70% marketshare in servers? Got a
reference for that claim?? Last I read Windows Server has a higher server
marketshare than Linux.

 

[Peter Köhlmann]

Linux has NO WHERE NEAR 70% of server share. The man is another
delusional COLA moron. Why these arses cant stick to the truth and argue
the Linux corner using facts and its own merits I will never know.

Maybe Rexx told him?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_systems

Idiot

You are really a nasty piece of Snit, Hadron Larry

 

[The Natural Philosopher]

What makes you think that Linux has a 70% marketshare in servers? Got a
reference for that claim?? Last I read Windows Server has a higher server
marketshare than Linux.

well most windows serves are for offies and now they all run as VMs on
linux hosts, so its a bit of a moot point innit?

 

[The Natural Philosopher]

Maybe he was looking at webservers. Of course, it's difficult to be
sure how to count them - do you count websites, weight by traffic
numbers, count virtual servers, etc.? Certainly it's easy to find solid
references showing Linux having 70%+ of the webserver market.

For "normal" servers, it's a different matter - I would expect Windows
server to have a higher market share. Of course, it is even more
difficult to judge those numbers, since many Linux systems are installed
later rather than bought with the server. And again you have the
questions of virtual machines - it's easier and cheaper to have lots of
Linux virtual machines on the same hardware than to have lots of Windows
virtual machines, so the relative shares will be different if you count
physical systems or virtual systems (and of course virtual systems can
be mixed too). Personally, I'd say that Linux is a standard mainstream
choice for general purpose servers (unlike the desktop, where it is a
niche choice) - but I would not claim it leads the market share.

For high-end servers and mainframes, IBM System z dominates - running
either z/OS or Linux. And for supercomputers, of course, Linux is
almost the only choice. But these categories don't add up much in numbers.

By definition, since its not 'sold' Linux per se has 0% 'market share'

 

[The Natural Philosopher]

Only if you're a complete moron. Which you appear to be.

It's meaning is so insanely simple to understand in context even YOU
should know what it refers too.

Let me give you a little lesson in basic Math.

10 companies want to buy an OS.
MS sells a copy of win 7 to 9 of them. MS has 90% of the "market". 10%
is left. Apple or Linux can get in there...

Well no, they cant. They want to buy an OS. You cant BUY linux.

Ergo if they wanted to bu one, they wouldnt pick Linux would they>

See? It didn't strain your pea brain too much I hope. I realise you
might need to think outside of your little box a little but do
try. Thinking is SO important. Sticking your head in the sand and
whistling dixie is no way to go through son.

You really crack me up dude.

 

[The Natural Philosopher]

By your (incorrect) definition.

Correct definition, troll.

 

[RayLopez99]

...or even one that the ESET "Linux anti-virus" looks for.

The notion of a (for-profit) corporation selling such a product
reminds me of the guy who bought a magic stone
to carry with him to keep away tigers.
So far, no tigers within 20 miles.
(Note: The product isn't available in Siberia or Bengal.)

The ONLY need for an anti-whatever app on a Linux box
is to catch files with WINDOZE-SPECIFIC infections.
(if the box is a relay point for such files, e.g. a mail server
or a habitual sharer of files from who-knows-where).

Several years back, I remember reading on Slashdot
about a company that ran all Linux boxes.
Their customers started bitching at them
about getting infections from the company's server.
It had never occurred to them to
scan the content passing thru their system for Windoze badware
as none of their own boxes had ever flinched whatsoever.

What the hell are you talking about? What language do you speak? You
think you're clever? "Bengal"? There's a region of the world called
"Bengal" in your mind? Sure if you Google it there's at least one
such street or place, but it's not a common name of anywhere. And
what's this: "had ever flinched whatsoever"? Who are you to talk
slang, like some sort of penny-ante guru? You a dime store
philosopher or something? Nothing you said in your post was either
coherent or made your point--kind of like your pathetic little life.

Get the **** out of my New Messages URL you bozo.

Linux user. Figures.

RL

 

[FromTheRafters]

You can anything at any permissions level you like. It's klutzier to do
this with Windows than with Linux, is all.

Indeed, you can also run as administrator in Windows and runas an LUA,
your browser.

But I can't think of why anyone would, and I doubt it is as safe as just
running as an LUA in the first place.

 

[Snit]

Kari Laine stated in post (e-mail address removed) on
9/1/11 8:57 AM:

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1
NotDashEscaped: You need GnuPG to verify this message



Well, Jobs got one thing right. He took one of the best OS he could get
BSD. He stole that and makes lot of money with it, not returning a dime
to original developers - that's how.

Stole?

Huh?

How the heck do you figure? And do you think Linux distro managers are
guilty of the same form of theft? How about those who pirate music and
movies?

 

[The Natural Philosopher]

There are only two things Linux is missing before it covers the needs of
the majority of servers. The sales and marketing muscle that Windows
server (and added software) can provide, and the profit for the server
and software sales people. It's often hard for sales people (and their
employing company) to make much profit selling hardware - the margins
are very low. But they can get good margins on the software and
support. If they were to recommend zero-cost Linux software, they only
make money from the installation and support - and even that is much
less than with Windows server software since it is faster (your "yum
install postgresql-server" will be completed before the Windows guy has
got the cellophane wrap off the MSSQL Server box, never mind figured out
how many client access licenses you are going to need).

So suppliers prefer to sell Windows systems and commercial software.

Hard to make money from linux support when it doesn't really go wrong.

 

[The Natural Philosopher]

You know, just shouting "linux is cheap and great" isn't advocacy. It
just makes you look like a clueless twit. Which is apt.

I am not posting from advocacy. I couldn't give a twopenny **** about
advocating anything.

I was merely remarking on the fact that linux once set up needs very
little maintenance.

 

[JeffM]

reminds me of the guy who bought a magic stone
to carry with him to keep away tigers[...]
(Note: The product isn't available in Siberia or Bengal.)

You think you're clever?

Demonstrating once again that wit is wasted on the witless.

 

[JeffM]

http://go.eset.com/us/threat-center/threatsense-updates/search?q=linux

Yawn.
That's a long list of WIN32 infections.
Not a "fix" for Linux hole anywhere in sight.

As I said before:
::The ONLY need for an anti-whatever app on a Linux box
::is to catch files with WINDOZE-SPECIFIC infections.
:if the box is a relay point for such files, e.g. a mail server
:r a habitual sharer of files from who-knows-where).

To paraphrase 7:
Apply the patches available for your Linux box and you'll be fine.

 

[FromTheRafters]

Yawn.
That's a long list of WIN32 infections.
Not a "fix" for Linux hole anywhere in sight.

So, you asked for '...or even one that the ESET "Linux anti-virus" looks
for' and I provided you with many.

Back-peddle all you want.

[Snipped attempts to change the parameters]

 

[JeffM]

So, you asked for '...or even one that the ESET "Linux anti-virus"
looks for' and I provided you with many.

....after 7 used the word "infect".
What part of "infect" don't you understand.

....or are you trying to use the Typhoid Mary meme
(which has already been acknowledged)?

....as has the "dancing bunnies" meme.

A page full of Win32 malware was NOT what was requested.
Everyone already knows what a steaming pile Windoze is.