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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Will antivirus be more significant on Linux desktop after this xz-util backdoor? (lemmy.world)

submitted 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I understand that no Operating System is 100% safe. Although this backdoor is likely only affects certain Linux desktop users, particularly those running unstable Debian or testing builds of Fedora (like versions 40 or 41), **Could this be a sign that antivirus software should be more widely used on Linux desktops? ** ( I know this time is a zero-day attack)

What if, malicious code like this isn't discovered until after it's released to the public? For example, imagine it was included in the initial release of Fedora 40 in April. What if other malware is already widespread and affects more than just SSH, unlike this specific case?

My point is,

Many people believe that Linux desktops don't require antivirus software.
Antivirus can at least stop malware once it's discovered.
Open-source software is protected by many parties, but a backdoor like this one, which reportedly took 2 years to plan and execute, raises my concern about being more cautious when choosing project code maintainers.
Linux desktops will likely be targeted by more attacks as they become more popular.

IMO, antivirus does not save stupid people(who blindly disable antivirus // grant root permission) but it does save some lazy people.

OS rely heavily on users practicing caution and up-to-date(both knowledge and the system). While many users don't follow tech news, they could unknowingly be running (this/any) malware without ever knowing. They might also neglect system updates, despite recommendations from distro maintainers.

This is where antivirus software can be useful. In such cases, users might be somewhat protected once the backdoor signature is added to the antivirus database.

Thankfully, the Linux community and Andres Freund responded quickly to this incident.

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[–] [email protected] 36 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Unless they're running LFS, I don't see the point. By the time the antivirus database is updated, surely an update will be available in the package repo?

The Linux ecosystem is built around package repos rather than manually installed software, so antivirus makes even less sense on Linux than it does on Windows. If there's malware it'll get removed from the repo as soon as it's detected.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago

I generally agree, but I will point out there are more ways to get packages than a repo - sure most things come from there, but plenty of things are provided as standalone installers (e.g., .deb packages). Having something that can scan that random .deb you need to do that one thing could be nice.

Not saying AV is the fix, but if Linux is ever going to become even slightly mainstream, you need some way to keep the "normies" from hurting themselves