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Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads

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Mike Easter wrote:
> TimW wrote:
>> The backdoor is only a problem if you downloaded it....
>
> The backdoor is only a problem if you chose to download by the slowest
> possible mirror instead of torrent AND then also INSTALLED the .iso.
>
> It seems surprising to me that 'hundreds' would do it that way.  Why
> would anyone dl by other than torrent?  OK; let's say they don't know
> how or don't want to torrent.  Why/ How many/ would not change mirrors
> to something better if there were such a slow download?
>
So, I would say/predict some unknown small number (not anywhere near 
hundreds) dl/ed the .iso and of THAT number, some much much smaller 
subset - a fraction - may have installed it. Say, maybe less than a dozen.

The vast majority of .iso/s I dl are NOT installed, but booted live to 
examine/ check out.

The article sez: // The hacker responsible, who goes by the name 
"Peace," told me in an encrypted chat on Sunday that a "few hundred" 
Linux Mint installs were under their control -- a significant portion of 
the thousand-plus downloads during the day. //

I doubt that.  It seems more likely that Peace would be bragging on the 
'success' of his exploit.  Since the whole purpose was for a botnet, it 
wouldn't be successful if he admitted something like there were less 
than a dozen installed.

Since there isn't any way to confirm or refute Peace's claims other than 
the confirmation that the .iso was available to dl, we can't know the 
veracity of his claimed numbers.

-- 
Mike Easter

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Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads Johnny <johnny@invalid.net> - 2016-02-22 03:44 -0600
  Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads TimW <tim@mysurname.me.uk> - 2016-02-22 11:03 +0000
    Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2016-02-22 08:01 -0800
      Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads FredW <fredw@ninmule.invalid> - 2016-02-22 17:31 +0100
        Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2016-02-22 08:59 -0800
          Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2016-02-22 09:50 -0800
            Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2016-02-22 10:12 -0800
          Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads FredW <fredw@ninmule.invalid> - 2016-02-22 19:29 +0100
            Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2016-02-22 10:43 -0800
              Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads FredW <fredw@ninmule.invalid> - 2016-02-22 20:08 +0100
                Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2016-02-22 11:53 -0800
            Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads "Cybe R. Wizard" <cybe_r_wizard@WizardsTower.invalid> - 2016-02-23 05:42 -0600
              Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads ronb <ronb02NOSPAM@gmail.com> - 2016-02-23 19:34 +0000
                Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads stepore <linshine@here.now> - 2016-02-23 20:59 -0800
              Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads stepore <linshine@here.now> - 2016-02-23 21:02 -0800
                Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads "Cybe R. Wizard" <cybe_r_wizard@WizardsTower.invalid> - 2016-02-24 00:50 -0600
          Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads Yrrah <Yrrah-aolm@aolm.invalid> - 2016-02-22 20:15 +0100
            Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads Johnny <johnny@invalid.net> - 2016-02-22 13:55 -0600
        Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads Andy <nospam@no.no> - 2016-02-22 21:57 +0000
      Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2016-02-22 08:49 -0800
      Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads stepore <linshine@here.now> - 2016-02-22 20:51 -0800
        Re: Hacker explains how he put "backdoor" in hundreds of Linux Mint downloads Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2016-02-23 02:51 -0800

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