[Gllug] Virus on Linux/Mac

[Chris Jones]

Hi

Christopher Hunter wrote:
> Linux is effectively immune at the OS level (unlike Windows), simply

As has been repeatedly said in this thread, that is a very poor assumption.

> because of the permissions structure.  The worst an OOo macro virus is
> going to do is (maybe) corrupt some files in the user's home directory.

Unless that macro can trick the user into giving it raised privileges.
Or if it runs on a machine where the user has a particular kind of
printer, because that manufacturer's binary driver makes OOo always run
as root. I have encountered several Ubuntu users who fix the sudo pain
by logging in as root and refusing to change.

> there's no real way of preventing this in Windows.

Of course there is, don't run as an Admin user. XP has fast user
switching, you could easily have one session for installing software,
configuring the system and so on, and one for your user. Vista has at
least some kind of user confirmation required to perform administrative
tasks. I can't speak for its quality though, I've never used it.

> Remember - in the Linux world, programmes have to be explicitly be given
> permission to run.  

that's perfect Linux world. Real Linux world is different:

http://www.warp2search.net/linux-2-6-22-7-s33701.html

(btw, thanks kernel guys for a security patch at the weekend ;)

> useless.  The Vista user has been told that his "operating system" is
> "secure - the most secure MS have ever released", so he feels confident

By your own logic, if we tell people that Linux is entirely immune to
viruses, they will be confident of their security to the point of being
ignorant of it.

For what it's worth, I would say there is a general knowledge among
Windows users that anti-virus and firewall are a neccesity.

Cheers,
-- 
Chris Jones
  cmsj at tenshu.net
   www.tenshu.net

The price of security is eternal vigilence.
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