Slashdot Mirror
Does Open Source Encourage Rootkits?
An anonymous reader writes "NetworkWorld reports that security vendor McAfee places the blame for increased numbers of rootkits squarely on the shoulders of the open source community. Others, however, do not agree. From the article: 'Rootkit.com's 41,533 members do post rootkit source code anonymously, then discuss and share the open source code. But it's naïve to say the Web site exists for malicious purposes, contends Greg Hoglund, CEO of security firm HBGary and operator of Rootkit. "It's there to educate people," says Hoglund [...] It's a great resource for anti-virus companies and others. Without it, they'd be far behind in their understanding of rootkits."'"
"Rootkits... you say it like it's a bad thing" -Sony
Man what a great IDEA! I am certified for hazardous rootkit infected computer disposal.. this month only my normal $250.00 disposal fee is reduced to
$100.00 per Pentium 4 computer or laptop infected with a dangerous rootkit. Our trained professionals will seal each infected PC in a hypo allergenic bag and savely transport them to our facilitity for disposal and recycling.
I get paid AND get gobs of good gear to sell on ebay!
Thanks for the tip! this will go great with my DVD rewinding service!
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
We need to have nails that dissolve with water instead of trying to pry them up with this lethal weapon.
But nails that dissolve in water might tempt builders into constructing houses that will collapse on their defenceless mothers-in-law when it rains!
Such evil devices must be prohibited with the full force of the law. The fate of the world itself is at stake.
> What percentage of open source code is rootkits?
0.01%
> What percentage of honda drivers are mass murderers?
80%
hope that helps you.
+----------------- | What is the question!
"Does Open Source Encourage Rootkits?"
MS: Oh let me asnwer, me me me me!
ask Sony.
Instead of users being limited in their choices of rootkits, users now have many different rootkits that are community supported to choose from. *THIS* is exactly why opensource is so important.
... Seriously, though, all of this just means that security patches continue to become more critical and that deployment of patches on servers cannot wait for months or years like we used to do back in the good old days.
Who wants to be stuck with a closed source rootkit when your IRC channel and server change and you have no way to update it? Opensource empowers the user to take the best features of different rootkits to ensure that they get the rootkit that meets their needs.
Users can strip down rootkits to run on older hardware that would otherwise be discarded, or they can enable many new features that make these rootkits competitive with all of the current commercial rootkits currently being used.
With the proliferation and expansion of UNIX desktop software that tries to emulate more and more windows (mis)-features, I think the rootkits and opensource actually do a lot to ensure that the basic applicatio n and OS security model in Linux and GNOME and KDE desktop environments remain secure.
I thought he was comparing a modern day RPG to a classical warship.
You are just stupid. What if the rootkit is designed to sneak into your home's breaker box! You need to burn your house down... NOW!
Thanks for the tip! this will go great with my DVD rewinding service!
Man, I wish I had known about your service BEFORE I got hit with the $2 charge at the video store...
The latest Slashdot meme.