Check your machines for malware, Linux developers told
Following a series of embarrassing intrusions that hit the servers used to maintain and distribute the Linux operating system, project elders have advised all developers to check their Linux machines for signs of compromise.
Emails sent Friday by Linux kernel lead developers Greg Kroah-Hartman and H Peter Anvin arrived as volunteers with the open-source project worked to bring LinuxFoundation.org, Linux.com, and Kernel.org back online following attacks that gained root access to the multiple servers that host the sites.
Among other things, project leaders are requiring all developers to regenerate the cryptographic keys used to upload source code to the site, and to ensure their systems are free of rootkits and other types of malware. "The compromise of kernel.org and related machines has made it clear that some developers, at least, have had their systems penetrated," Kroah-Hartman wrote in one message. "As we seek to secure our infrastructure, it is imperative that nobody falls victim to the belief that it cannot happen to them. We all need to check our systems for intrusion."
