On Sun, 15 Nov 1998, Alan Cox wrote:
> > I never hear of viruses in the Linux (or Unix generally) world. There used
>
> Firstly most people don't install random strange things. This helps no end,
> Debian packages, Red Hat RPMS etc are pgp signed too which is also good.
Many Linux users, also, compile from source anything that's not from
the Linux distribution or some other plainly reputable source.
> The big thing that makes viruses tricky on a Unix (or any other OS with
> sane security - NT mostly included) is that a virus is constrained. So
> if I end user install a virus, and root never runs my programs I can
> make a twit of myself but nobody else.
So if your Linux machine is your personal workstation, don't use as
root but as an ordinary user, and in any doubtful cases install
software in ~/local/bin etc. and run it for a while.
> There have been two demonstrated "proof of concept" viruses for Unix systems
> that (within the constraints above) worked.
>
> So yes its possible. I suspect mathematically you can prove formally that
> any turing complete system is virus vulnerable.
But as a practical matter it's not an issue unless you have been
very, very foolish. In consequence, softer targets are chosen.
There is no thriving underground of Linux virus writers out there.
That's why you never hear.
--Mike
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