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Linux Kernel Back-Door Hack Attempt Discovered

Posted by simoniker on from the intrigue-and-skullduggery dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The BitKeeper to CVS gateway was apparently hacked in an attempt to add a root exploit back door to the Linux kernel, according to the linux-kernel archive. The change was in the file kernel/exit.c and changed the user ID of a process to root under the guise of checking the validity of some flags. The core Linux BitKeeper kernel repository was not at risk, and in fact it was the BitKeeper CVS export scripts that detected the unauthorized modifications to CVS. The changes were falsely attributed in CVS to long-time Linux developer davem (David Miller). Users of the BKCVS repository should resync their trees to remove the offending code if they had replicated it since yesterday."

10 of 687 comments (clear)

  1. Daaaammmmmnnnn.. by NegativeK · · Score: 4, Funny

    Someone has some damned big balls to do something like that...

    Let's hope they're cut off.

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    This statement is false.
  2. hmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Sounds like a plan to get the dirty GNU/hippies to upgrade to the real BitKeeper instead of using the communist CVS gateway.

    That McVoy is a smart one!

    Did you know his programmers need to feed their families and pay their mortgages? Very sad situation, I hope everybody buys 10-15 licenses ASAP.

  3. Re:Microsoft by Cobralisk · · Score: 5, Funny

    No, but I'd like to see them claim copyright infringement on back-door code.

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    Waiting for ad.doubleclick.net...
  4. Re:Well well by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny
    You would wonder what would happen if said hacker was working for a company on a similar closed source program. Would it have been detected?


    Well the 12 backdoors I put into the Windows XP kernel haven't been detected yet.

  5. Alright.... by aws4y · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'll call ESR, he's got the guns.
    You guys get Linus and make sure he brings Tove, since she could probly kick all our asses.

    Once thats done we'll Larry McVoy, by this time hopefully he will have the IP of the slimeball.

    The Pose rides at Dawn, we can kill some Trolls along the way.

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    Did Glenn Beck rape and kill a girl in 1990? gb1990.com
  6. Re:3 cheers for monolithic kernals by Geek+of+Tech · · Score: 4, Funny
    You honestly have no idea what a "monolithic kernel" is, do you.

    My God! It's full of stars!

    1 x 4 x 9

    That monolith... oh... kernel.... right...

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    Stop the Slashdot effect! Don't read the articles!
  7. Re:!!! rag by LordLucless · · Score: 5, Funny

    No, you don't understand. This exploit was disguised as error checking code. It'd stick out in Longhorn like a sore thumb.

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    Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face
  8. In other news.. by RichardX · · Score: 4, Funny

    Microsoft insists the timing of their bounty (pay deal) on (for) virus writers (hackers) "entirely coincidental" (damned convenient)

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    Curiosity was framed. Ignorance killed the cat.
  9. You mean, "what's really gonna bake your noodle... by AvantLegion · · Score: 4, Funny
    ... is would the code be exploited if nobody had said anything?"

  10. Re:Well well by balloonhead · · Score: 4, Funny
    Leprechauns.

    Leprechauns live on my hard drive controller, and spin it with all their tiny might.

    They're like little green DJs when I use my RAID.

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    This idea was invented by Shampoo.