Hands up the elm users!

Story: Linux/unix e-mail flaw leaves systems open to attackTotal Replies: 1
Author Content
AnonymousCoward

Aug 31, 2005
9:36 AM EDT
Come on! Yes, both of you!

Earth to ComputerWorld: get a grip.

Who reads mail as root? Who uses elm? Who doesn't update? The intersection of those three sets is less than miniscule - what kind of moron virus writer is going to bother targeting this "niche market"?

I can see the headlines now, "Linux Virus Epidemic, Six Machines Trashed".
phsolide

Aug 31, 2005
10:19 AM EDT
Hey, hey, hey! You're not viewing this Windows-favorable vulnerability in the right blackwhite light.ly

You have to hold two, mutually-exclusive opinions simultaneously:

1. Virus/worm authors target Windows solely because of its massive (legitimately obtained!) market share.

2. No program/operating system/whatever is immune from viruses. Therefore Linux is just as likely to implode under the same weight of worms/viruses/trojans/backdoors as Windows.

So yes, 6 linux machines trashed would constitute a massive epidemic that mitigates against ever trying or using Linux. Just like the 2002 "slapper" virus, which was a major, heinous, fatal blow to Linux, infecting around 20,000 machines for a week.

And yes, 6 Windows machines infected doesn't even make the "Wild List", much less compare to the fact that Code Red v2 is *still* making the rounds, about 3 years after it was released.

Get with the Program, Dude! How are AV companies going to make a mint if they can't scare multi-colored tar out of the sheeple?

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