linux
CISA orders agencies to patch Linux kernel bug exploited in attacks
CISA has ordered federal agencies to secure their systems within three weeks against a high-severity Linux kernel flaw actively exploited in attacks. Tracked as CVE-2024-53104, the security bug was first introduced in kernel version 2.6.26 and was patched by Google for Android users on Monday. “There are indications that CVE-2024-53104 may be under limited, targeted exploitation,” the Android February 2025 […]
Over 660,000 Rsync servers exposed to code execution attacks
Over 660,000 exposed Rsync servers are potentially vulnerable to six new vulnerabilities, including a critical-severity heap-buffer overflow flaw that allows remote code execution on servers. Rsync is an open-source file synchronization and data transferring tool valued for its ability to perform incremental transfers, reducing data transfer times and bandwidth usage. It supports local file systems […]
Windows 10 users urged to upgrade to avoid “security fiasco”
Cybersecurity firm ESET is urging Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11 or Linux to avoid a “security fiasco” as the 10-year-old operating system nears the end of support in October 2025. “It’s five minutes to twelve to avoid a security fiasco for 2025,” explains ESET security expert Thorsten Urbanski. “We strongly advise all […]
Kali Linux 2024.4 released with 14 new tools
Kali Linux has released version 2024.4, the fourth and final version of 2024, and it is now available with fourteen new tools, numerous improvements, and deprecates some features. Kali Linux is a distribution created for cybersecurity professionals and ethical hackers to perform penetration testing, ethical hacking, vulnerability research, security audits, and red team exercises. With this final […]
New stealthy Pumakit Linux rootkit malware spotted in the wild
A new Linux rootkit malware called Pumakit has been discovered that uses stealth and advanced privilege escalation techniques to hide its presence on systems. The malware is a multi-component set that includes a dropper, memory-resident executables, a kernel module rootkit, and a shared object (SO) userland rootkit. Elastic Security discovered Pumakit in a suspicious binary (‘cron’) upload […]
Ubuntu Linux impacted by decade-old ‘needrestart’ flaw that gives root
Five local privilege escalation (LPE) vulnerabilities have been discovered in the needrestart utility used by Ubuntu Linux, which was introduced over 10 years ago in version 21.04. The flaws were discovered by Qualys and are tracked as CVE-2024-48990, CVE-2024-48991, CVE-2024-48992, CVE-2024-10224, and CVE-2024-11003. They were introduced in needrestart version 0.8, released in April 2014, and fixed only […]
Windows infected with backdoored Linux VMs in new phishing attacks
A new phishing campaign dubbed ‘CRON#TRAP’ infects Windows with a Linux virtual machine that contains a built-in backdoor to give stealthy access to corporate networks. Using virtual machines to conduct attacks is nothing new, with ransomware gangs and cryptominers using them to stealthily perform malicious activity. However, threat actors commonly install these manually after they breach a network. A […]
Custom “Pygmy Goat” malware used in Sophos Firewall hack on govt network
UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has published an analysis of a Linux malware named “Pigmy Goat” created to backdoor Sophos XG firewall devices as part of recently disclosed attacks by Chinese threat actors. Last week, Sophos published a series of reports dubbed “Pacific Rim” that detailed five-year attacks by Chinese threat actors on edge networking devices. One […]
New FASTCash malware Linux variant helps steal money from ATMs
North Korean hackers are using a new Linux variant of the FASTCash malware to infect the payment switch systems of financial institutions and perform unauthorized cash withdrawals. Previous variants of FASTCash targeted Windows and IBM AIX (Unix) systems, but a new report by security researcher HaxRob reveals a previously undetected Linux version that targets Ubuntu […]
Linux malware “perfctl” behind years-long cryptomining campaign
A Linux malware named “perfctl” has been targeting Linux servers and workstations for at least three years, remaining largely undetected through high levels of evasion and the use of rootkits. According to Aqua Nautilus researchers who discovered perfctl, the malware likely targeted millions of Linux servers in recent years and possibly caused infections in several […]