Korean Mozilla Binaries For Linux Infected With Virus

[borfast]

Korean distributions of Mozilla and Thunderbird for Linux were infected with Virus.Linux.RST.b. This virus searches for executable ELF files in the current and /bin directories and infects them. It also contains a backdoor, which downloads scripts from another site, and executes them, using a standard shell.

 

So now we see more viruses for Linux and also Mozilla appearing, we all knew it would happen as it gained popularity.What we will now see is the real important thing: how these security issues will be addressed by the creators of the software

[Madmanmcp]

Whats scary is that the virus is being snuck into the distros and thousands are being infected from what many users assumed would be a safe place. A black eye for Open Source.

[TCH-Rob]

I guess it was just a matter of time. Just goes to show that nothing is truly safe.

[borfast]

You're both right.

 

It is indeed very bad for Open Source software public image. In this case, I'd say it's more of a bad thing for Mozilla's public image. Somehow I have the impression people don't really make the connection between Mozilla and Open Source, I think people think Mozilla is a "different" thing... But yes, pretty bad nonetheless.

 

Rob, exactly, like I said, we all knew it would start to happen, sooner or later. But the important thing is to see how the creators of the software will address these vulnerabilities. Will they provide patches in a timely fashion or will they make the users wait for weeks before providing a way to fix the security hole?

 

I'm trying not to make a direct comparison with Microsoft here but this is obviously connected to all those comments we all see and hear about Open Source software being better than MS because MS takes ages to provide patches, while Open Source software delivers patches in a matter of days, sometimes hours after the vulnerabilities become known. It's not a matter of comparing MS to any other company or software group, it's just a matter of finally starting to get proof that Open Source is capable of delivering security updates faster than proprietary methods of developing software.

[Madmanmcp]

Raul, I actually expected the bugs to be fixed by now...its now a couple days and there has not been a peep. I fear open source has gone the way of big software companies and there is to much red tape involved to release a fix as quickly as they did in the past