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kernel.org compromised.

  • 01-09-2011 12:44am
    #1
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 8,095 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    kernel.org servers have been compromised.

    Forwarded message
    From: J.H. <warthog9@kernel.org>
    Date: 2011/8/29
    Subject: [kernel.org users] [KORG] Master back-end break-in
    To: users@kernel.org


    BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE
    Hash: SHA1

    Afternoon Everyone,

    As you can guess from the subject line, I've not had what many would
    consider a "good" day. Earlier today discovered a trojan existing on
    HPA's personal colo machine, as well as hera. Upon some investigation
    there are a couple of kernel.org boxes, specifically hera and odin1,
    with potential pre-cursors on demeter2, zeus1 and zeus2, that have been
    hit by this.

    As it stands right now, HPA is working on cleaning his box, and
    I'm working on hera (odin1 and zeus1 are out of rotation still for other
    reasons), mainly so that if one of us finds something of interest, we
    can deal with it and compare notes on the other box.

    Points of interest:

    - - Break-in seems to have initially occurred no later than August 12th

    - - Files belonging to ssh (openssh, openssh-server and openssh-clients)
    were modified and running live. These have been uninstalled and
    removed, all processes were killed and known good copies were
    reinstalled. That said all users may wish to consider taking this
    opportunity to change their passwords and update ssh keys (particularly
    if you had an ssh private key on hera). This seems to have occurred on
    or around August 19th.

    - - A trojan startup file was added to rc3.d

    - - User interactions were logged, as well as some exploit code. We have
    retained this for now.

    - - Trojan initially discovered due to the Xnest /dev/mem error message
    w/o Xnest installed; have been seen on other systems. It is unclear if
    systems that exhibit this message are susceptible, compromised or not.
    If you see this, and you don't have Xnest installed, please investigate.

    - - It *appears* that 3.1-rc2 might have blocked the exploit injector, we
    don't know if this is intentional or a side affect of another bugfix or
    change.

    - - System is being verified from backups, signatures, etc. As of right
    now things look correct, however we may take the system down soon to do
    a full reinstall and for more invasive checking.

    - - As a precaution a number of packages have been removed from the
    system, if something was removed that you were using please let us know
    so we can put it back.

    - - At this time we do not know the vector that was used to get into the
    systems, but the attackers had gained root access level privileges.

    That's what we know right now, some of the recent instabilities may have
    been caused by these intrusions, and we are looking into everything.

    If you are on the box, keep an eye out, and if you see something please
    let us know immediately.

    Beyond that, verify your git trees and make sure things are correct.

    - - John 'Warthog9' Hawley
    Chief Kernel.org Administrator
    BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE
    Version: GnuPG v1.4.11 (GNU/Linux)
    Comment: Using GnuPG with Fedora - http://enigmail.mozdev.org/

    iEYEARECAAYFAk5a5U0ACgkQ/E3kyWU9dif+1ACfYPlgq/keFrFO77AmQVduKGwx
    TAcAnRAu6nHt74+5aC+fPeb8aT0hcy2K
    =Semd
    END PGP SIGNATURE


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 5,246 ✭✭✭conor.hogan.2


    So what is the fallout from this and what does it mean for Linux in general?

    It seems fairly major? Even if the damage done is little.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,985 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    So what is the fallout from this and what does it mean for Linux in general?

    It seems fairly major? Even if the damage done is little.

    More a warning against complacency in the future I would think.


  • Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 1,333 Mod ✭✭✭✭croo


    Personally, I am happy to see such. No security system is perfect. We see a practical example of what happens when the unthinkable does happen. That the problem was found and addressed so quickly and importantly - so openly. Well it's good to know.

    Can you imagine what happens when this occurs (as it almost certainly does) with closed systems? If the problem is even found; nobody outside of the company, with the exception perhaps of their lawyers, would alerted to the risk. Their EULA most likely absolves them of any effects of a security breach anyway so why bother :P

    Now, I am happy to read such attempts are being found, resolved and the techniques uncovered used to strengthen the security more.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 664 ✭✭✭Galen


    A successful attack of Kernel.org led to the entire site being shut down temporarily as the team rebuilds the system. So, when the fifth release candidate upcoming Linux 3.1 kernel landed, there was no place to publish it.

    This led to Linus Torvalds publishing the latest code on GitHub rather than on the kernel's own git repository. This makes GitHub the current, official home of the Linux kernel, but it's only a temporary solution.

    http://news.softpedia.com/news/Linux-Kernel-Temporarily-Moves-to-GitHub-After-Kernel-org-Hack-220303.shtml


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,931 ✭✭✭PrzemoF


    It's just another webpage.. I'd be much more worried if someone found a way to forge git commits with malicious content and a proper hash, but that seems to be/is impossible.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,904 ✭✭✭cian1500ww


    Anyone have any idea when kernel.org will be back up??


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,904 ✭✭✭cian1500ww


    LinuxFoundation.org has also had a security breach: http://www.linuxfoundation.org/?a=a


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