The FBI and NSA have revealed that Russian military services intelligence are using malware that targets Linux systems.
According to security agencies, Russian hackers are using new malware for Linux systems, called Drovorub, for cyber espionage. The malware allowed hackers to steal files and take control of vulnerable devices.
Drovorub is of course not the first malware to target Linux. It is not even the first Russian malware to target Linux devices. Last year, Microsoft reported on a malware that targeted Internet of Things (IoT) devices . In addition, in 2018, the VPN Filter malware appeared , targeting routers and was said to be associated with Russian state hackers. Linux systems have been targeted by many state hackers and ransomware gangs .
Many people think that malware primarily targets Windows. That may have been true a decade or two ago. In reality, any system that is popular on the market and hosts important datais a target for criminals. Linux is increasingly the foundation of many different enterprise systems and huge parts of the cloud.
Threats to Linux systems are relatively few and are usually dealt with by Linux's built-in security, which is said to be stronger due to its open source code. Indeed, even in this case, malware can only target old versions of the Linux kernel. But Drovorub is a reminder that hackers and malware writers are willing and able to target any system.
Most worryingly, many organizations believe they will not be targeted. This may be because they believe they are too “unimportant” or because they are too well protected.
Both of these assumptions are likely to be wrong. Even if your business is small or “insignificant” to criminals, you may have customers or suppliers who are attractive targets for hackers. They may then exploit your systems to attack them. As for protection, huge and well-known companies thought they were adequately protected, but they fell victim to malware and other attacks.
This latest revelation shows that all systems (Linux, Windows, etc.) and all devices can be targeted by hackers. Innovations like IoT and the cloud only widen the threat landscape. That's why users and organizations need to be very careful. Complacency is the biggest threat.
