Posted: 2/26/2016 1:17:16 AM EDT
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Why the Linux Mint hack is an indicator of a larger problem On February 20th, a hacker working under the handle "Peace" took control of the website of Linux Mint, a popular Linux distribution derived from Ubuntu (and Debian) targeted toward non-technical users and power users unhappy with modern desktop environments like GNOME 3, KDE Plasma 5, and Unity 7. The hacker replaced the download link for Linux Mint with one which contained a backdoor called Tsunami-an attack which put "several hundred" systems with a fresh installation of Linux Mint in the hacker's control, according to an interview with ZDNet's Zach Whittaker. SEE: Has your Linux Mint desktop been backdoored?(ZDNet) The same hacker gained control of the Linux Mint user forum, grabbing copies of the entire database twice, copies of which are now for sale on a dark web marketplace for 0.197 bitcoin ($85) per download. The user forum, which was powered by phpBB, used PHPass to hash passwords, which is possible to crack. At the time of this writing, the forum remains down while the main Linux Mint website was reinstated and compromised again shortly thereafter. While these attacks are regrettable, and part of an infrastructure problem rather than a problem with the distribution itself, it increasingly appears that the Linux Mint team, led by project leader Clement Lefebvre, is spread too thin when it comes to security. I searched on Linux Mint, sorry if this is a dupe. |
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Quoted:
Mint is like Baby's First Linux anyway. (I can't complain much, I use Fedora.) I understand that. It's part of the reason this is important info to get out. My Linux skills are so rusty I'm getting a refresher course by using Raspbian. 
I was going to go with Mint when I dump Windwoes but after reading about the lack of attention security detail I'm looking for another distro. I'm not feeling geeky enough to dive into Gentoo like I did back in the day. I'm thinking seriously about Tails. Shouldn't that have a cartoon fox for a mascot though? Edit: typo |