{"id":55777,"date":"2024-04-05T18:36:57","date_gmt":"2024-04-05T18:36:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/97732f83-c723-431f-9115-afe7a5c96ab3"},"modified":"2024-04-05T18:36:57","modified_gmt":"2024-04-05T18:36:57","slug":"this-backdoor-almost-infected-linux-everywhere-the-xz-utils-close-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.threatshub.org\/blog\/this-backdoor-almost-infected-linux-everywhere-the-xz-utils-close-call\/","title":{"rendered":"This backdoor almost infected Linux everywhere: The XZ Utils close call"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"c-shortcodeImage u-clearfix c-shortcodeImage-large\">\n<div class=\"c-shortcodeImage_imageContainer\">\n<div class=\"c-shortcodeImage_image\"><picture class=\"c-cmsImage c-cmsImage_loaded\"><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.zdnet.com\/a\/img\/resize\/5f5ff320680adf9dd172cf8d9274db1d1c192055\/2024\/04\/05\/0b16c315-a466-4d2c-9c1f-692593beaa62\/backdoor-gettyimages-823310866.jpg?auto=webp&amp;width=768\" alt=\"backdoor-gettyimages-823310866\"><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.zdnet.com\/a\/img\/resize\/2ee34c2b247df288221980837a2fbc16fa4ea257\/2024\/04\/05\/0b16c315-a466-4d2c-9c1f-692593beaa62\/backdoor-gettyimages-823310866.jpg?auto=webp&amp;width=1024\" alt=\"backdoor-gettyimages-823310866\"><source media=\"(max-width: 1440px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.zdnet.com\/a\/img\/resize\/c29d5287b44d0bdf197dbd3b8bf52b526ed5b848\/2024\/04\/05\/0b16c315-a466-4d2c-9c1f-692593beaa62\/backdoor-gettyimages-823310866.jpg?auto=webp&amp;width=1280\" alt=\"backdoor-gettyimages-823310866\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zdnet.com\/a\/img\/resize\/c29d5287b44d0bdf197dbd3b8bf52b526ed5b848\/2024\/04\/05\/0b16c315-a466-4d2c-9c1f-692593beaa62\/backdoor-gettyimages-823310866.jpg?auto=webp&amp;width=1280\" alt=\"backdoor-gettyimages-823310866\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720.1039411000432\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<p> <!----><\/div><figcaption> <span class=\"c-shortcodeImage_credit g-outer-spacing-top-xsmall u-block\">BeeBright\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It all started when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/andres-freund\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">Andres Freund<\/a>, a Microsoft principal software engineer, became curious about why the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/access-management\/what-is-ssh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">SSH<\/a> remote security code in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.debian.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">Debian Linux<\/a> beta was running slowly. Freund did some digging and discovered the problem: A chief programmer and maintainer of the xz data compression library, Jia Tan, had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.openwall.com\/lists\/oss-security\/2024\/03\/29\/4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">put a backdoor in the code<\/a>. Its purpose? To enable attackers to take over Linux systems.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Also: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zdnet.com\/article\/linux-might-be-your-best-bet-for-heightening-your-desktop-computer-security\/\" rel=\"follow\">Linux might be your best bet for heightening your desktop computer security<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Recently, it has become all too common for malicious hackers to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zdnet.com\/article\/some-developers-are-fouling-up-open-source-software\/\" rel=\"follow\">insert bad code into software<\/a>. Some open-source code repositories, such as the popular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.javascript.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">JavaScript<\/a> package manager, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npmjs.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">Node Package Manager (npm)<\/a>, and the equally popular Python software repository <a href=\"https:\/\/pypi.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">Python Package Index (PyPI)<\/a>, have become infamous for hosting crypto mining and hacking malware.<\/p>\n<p>There are also open-source malware programs, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.talosintelligence.com\/sapphirestealer-goes-open-source\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">SapphireStealer<\/a>, that seek to steal user IDs, passwords, and other secrets. While there has certainly been a lot of bad code written in Linux and its closely related utilities, no one has ever successfully hidden malware within it &#8211;until now.<\/p>\n<p><!----><\/p>\n<p>Before you get too excited, note this: The corrupt xz code did not appear in any production Linux distros. If you were working with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.redhat.com\/en\/blog\/urgent-security-alert-fedora-41-and-rawhide-users\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">Fedora<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bugs.debian.org\/cgi-bin\/bugreport.cgi?bug=1068024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">Debian<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/news.opensuse.org\/2024\/03\/29\/xz-backdoor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">openSUSE<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/discourse.ubuntu.com\/t\/noble-numbat-beta-delayed-xz-liblzma-security-update\/43827\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">Ubuntu<\/a>, or other bleeding-edge beta distributions, you had something to worry about. Otherwise, you should be clear.<\/p>\n<p>But, make no mistake: Linux dodged a bullet. Had this reached the Linux systems we all use every day &#8212; whether or not you&#8217;re ever aware of it &#8212; we&#8217;d be in a world of hurt.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Ironically, while people are using the xz mess as an excuse to whip open source, the truth is that the attack failed <em>because<\/em> of open source. As Mark Atwood, Amazon&#8217;s open source program office principal engineer, noted, &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/_Mark_Atwood\/status\/1774935413834367445\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">The attack failed because it was open source<\/a>. The way this attack works for non-open source is the attacker spends two years getting an agent hired by a contract software development vendor, they sneak it in, [and] nobody finds out.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Also: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zdnet.com\/article\/thinking-about-switching-to-linux-things-you-need-to-know\/\" rel=\"follow\">Thinking about switching to Linux? 10 things you need to know<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>How can he say that? Because it&#8217;s the truth. For example, we still don&#8217;t know exactly how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.gov\/news\/2024\/04\/02\/cyber-safety-review-board-releases-report-microsoft-online-exchange-incident-summer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">Microsoft allowed a Chinese hacking group to break into Microsoft Online Exchange<\/a> last year. Thanks to Freund, we know a great deal about how the xz hack was accomplished. As Dimitri Stiliadis,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.endorlabs.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">Endor Labs<\/a>&nbsp;CTO and co-founder, pointed out, &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.endorlabs.com\/learn\/xz-is-a-wake-up-call-for-software-security-heres-why\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">We were lucky that the attack happened against open-source software<\/a> that anyone can look at and understand. If the same attack was against a closed source component, how would we even know?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Amen.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>What we don&#8217;t know yet is who was behind the attack &#8212; or why. There&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/jia-tan-xz-backdoor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">much speculation<\/a> that it was another Chinese hacking group; but at the end of the day, we&#8217;re left with educated guesses.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>For example, instead of international politics being behind the malware, it could have been an especially elaborate attempt to plant crypto miners into high-powered Linux systems. With current Bitcoin values hovering around $65,000 a coin, greed is a plausible motive. &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>We <em>do<\/em> know that whoever was behind the name Jia Tan took a lot of time and trouble planting the malware. <a href=\"https:\/\/boehs.org\/node\/everything-i-know-about-the-xz-backdoor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">Tan began his dark work in 2021<\/a>. He or she, with the aid of some <a href=\"https:\/\/newslit.org\/tips-tools\/news-lit-tip-sock-puppet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">sock puppets<\/a>, gradually took control of the xz project. Tan and his colleagues then started pushing for the new backdoor-infected program to be fast-tracked into Linux distros.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s at this point that Freund&#8217;s digging into the code uncovered the plot. Today, Lasse Collin, the <a href=\"https:\/\/tukaani.org\/xz-backdoor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">original XZ maintainer<\/a>, has taken back control of the project and is cleaning the code. &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Also: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zdnet.com\/article\/best-linux-desktops-for-beginners\/\" rel=\"follow\">The best Linux distros for beginners: Expert tested<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s also been speculation that Tan and company had already placed malware in earlier xz versions. There doesn&#8217;t appear to be anything to this.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Others are worried that xz was just the tip of the iceberg and that there are many other open-source malware programs hiding in Linux. But, as Eric S. Raymond, open-source co-founder, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/esrtweet\/status\/1774847470213726458\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">observed<\/a>, &#8220;It sounds prudent and cautious to suppose that for any discovered exploit, there must be a large number of undiscovered ones. But we don&#8217;t actually know that, and even if it were true, it wouldn&#8217;t lead to actionable advice.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>So, what can we do about it? Lots!<\/p>\n<p>Before this trap-door-equipped malware was discovered, the<a href=\"https:\/\/openssf.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\"> Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF<\/a>) had proposed that we adopt policies<a href=\"https:\/\/opensourcewatch.beehiiv.com\/p\/new-take-software-code-security-open-source-consumption-manifesto\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\"> for secure and responsible open-source software use<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In the aftermath, Dan Lorenc, co-founder and CEO of open-source software supply chain company <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chainguard.dev\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">Chainguard<\/a>, proposed that we reflect on the gaps this attack has surfaced and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/danlorenc_github-chainguard-devbincapz-enumerate-activity-7180922990379835393-fV9Y\/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"c-regularLink\">build up more in-depth defense across the entire open-source supply chain<\/a>: &nbsp;&#8220;Persistent threats aren&#8217;t going away, and we can&#8217;t magically stop them, but we can continue to raise the bar and make them harder.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Also: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zdnet.com\/article\/5-tips-for-securing-ssh-on-your-linux-server-or-desktop\/\" rel=\"follow\">5 tips for securing SSH on your Linux server or desktop<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lorenc&#8217;s right. As he also stated, &#8220;We got incredibly lucky.&#8221; &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Open source, by its very nature, is potentially more secure than proprietary methods. But, it&#8217;s only more secure if we take a long, hard look at the code we use and make sure it really is safe. The idea that the code is safe just because it&#8217;s open is magical thinking at its worst. Wishing won&#8217;t make open-source or Linux secure; only hard work will do that.<\/p>\n<div id=\"pinbox-97732f83-c723-431f-9115-afe7a5c96ab3\" class=\"c-shortcodePinbox-carousel\">\n<div class=\"c-listingCarouselHorizontal\">\n<h4 class=\"c-sectionHeading\">Open Source<\/h4>\n<p> <!----> <span class=\"c-listingCarouselHorizontal_loadingIndicator\"><\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>READ MORE <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zdnet.com\/article\/this-backdoor-almost-infected-linux-everywhere-the-xz-utils-close-call\/#ftag=RSSbaffb68\">HERE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the first time, an open-source maintainer put malware into a key Linux utility. We&#8217;re still not sure who or why &#8211; but here&#8217;s what you can do about it.<br \/>\nREAD MORE HERE&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55777","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-zdnet-security"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>This backdoor almost infected Linux everywhere: The XZ Utils close call 2026 | ThreatsHub Cybersecurity News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"ThreatsHub Cybersecurity News | ThreatsHub.org | Cloud Security &amp; Cyber Threats Analysis Hub. 100% Free OSINT Threat Intelligent and Cybersecurity News.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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