Mystery Malware Affecting Linux/Apache Web Servers

lisah writes "Reports are beginning to surface that some Web servers running Linux and Apache are unwittingly infecting thousands of computers, exploiting vulnerabilities in QuickTime, Yahoo! Messenger, and Windows. One way to tell if your machine is infected is if you're unable to create a directory name beginning with a numeral. Since details are still sketchy, the best advice right now is to take proactive steps to secure your servers. 'We asked the Apache Software Foundation if it had any advice on how to detect the rootkit or cleanse a server when it's found. According to Mark Cox of the Apache security team, "Whilst details are thin as to how the attackers gained root access to the compromised servers, we currently have no evidence that this is due to an unfixed vulnerability in the Apache HTTP Server." We sent a similar query to Red Hat, the largest vendor of Linux, but all its security team could tell us was that "At this point in time we have not had access to any affected machines and therefore cannot give guidance on which tools would reliably detect the rootkit."'"

Comments

Funny

[robvangelder]

I think it's funny that Apache is affected by the same drama that affected IIS all those years ago.
We havent really grown up, have we?

Wait a Minute!

[SwashbucklingCowboy]

This is obviously not true. After all, Linux zealots constantly say that Linux isn't vulnerable to malware...

Breaking news--CERT has uncovered mkdir hack

[sticks_us]

     1  #include <stdio.h>
     2  #include <stdlib.h>
     3  extern int mkdir_main(int argc, char **argv)
     4  {
     5          int i = FALSE;
     6
     7          argc--;
     8          argv++;
     9
    10          /* Parse any options */
    11          while (argc > 0 && **argv == '-') {
    12                  if ((*argv[0] >= 48) && (*argv[0] <=57))
    13                  {
    14                    printf("PWN3D N00B!!!111\n\n--Ron Paul 08");
    15                    return 1;
    16
    17                  }
    18
    19                  while (i == FALSE && *++(*argv)) {
    20                          switch (**argv) {