On Linux being highly hostile for viruses
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| linuxsavvy Nov 21, 2011 2:21 AM EDT |
Virus writers are barely motivated to target Linux environments, given the hostility they face. Have there been any recent instances of the bad guys succeeding in staying a few steps ahead? |
| gus3 Nov 21, 2011 9:00 AM EDT |
One word: Android. |
| JaseP Nov 21, 2011 9:49 AM EDT |
Android's susceptibility to malware has been greatly exaggerated. The primary threat had been to Android phone/3G/4G users, and not to WiFi tablet users. Android users just have to be smart, and not download apps from no-name developers that appear to be clones of other apps from more legitimate sources. And, on a technical note, the malware written for Android are largely Trojan horses, not viruses. That drives home my point that malware on Android is largely a social engineering problem than a technical one. |
| gus3 Nov 21, 2011 2:09 PM EDT |
I'm aware of the difference between viruses and Trojan horses. I was answering the question as it was asked. However, bear in mind that the battle against Android malware is a constant one, even within the Android Market. |
| phsolide Nov 22, 2011 1:16 PM EDT |
I can think of one place that Linux seems to have some problems: phpMyAdmin scanners. 8 or 10 times a week, something identifying itself as "ZmEu" scans my web server for phpMyAdmin installations that have some kind of remote code execution bug. A few other scanns for WordPress login problems also turn up once in a while. So, one widely-installed cr@ppy PHP web app causing a lot of problems. |
| JaseP Nov 22, 2011 2:51 PM EDT |
But it's the APP causing the problems, not the OS... If this were M$,... they'd be singing the "third party app's the culprit, not our OS," tune all day long. For the most part, the Linux camp doesn't do the same,... allowing the OS, as a distro, or whatever, to take the fall for any security issue. I have yet to be infected by malware while running a Linux box, and that's about a decade now. I can't say the same when I ran Windoze. |
| gus3 Nov 22, 2011 3:03 PM EDT |
The Chernobyl virus is what got me to kick my Windows habit forever. April 1, 1998 is my "sobriety" date. |
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