They are using Linux as the hook in the headline, the attack on kernel.org was widely reported when it happened, over a decade ago, although maybe not so publicly dissected. There was even an arrest.

The same malware is still active in the wild and attacking other people, that’s the real point of the article.

Maybe a better title would have included “from 2009 to 2011”

Dan Goodin seems to write sensationalist articles of vulnerabilities. Then buried in a footnote you notice that the vulnerability doesn’t really affect anyone in real world.

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Infrastructure used to maintain and distribute the Linux operating system kernel was infected for two years, starting in 2009, by sophisticated malware that managed to get a hold of one of the developers’ most closely guarded resources: the /etc/shadow files that stored encrypted password data for more than 550 system users, researchers said Tuesday.

The unknown attackers behind the compromise infected at least four servers inside kernel.org, the Internet domain underpinning the sprawling Linux development and distribution network, the researchers from security firm ESET said.

After obtaining the cryptographic hashes for 551 user accounts on the network, the attackers were able to convert half into plaintext passwords, likely through password-cracking techniques and the use of an advanced credential-stealing feature built into the malware.

Besides revealing the number of compromised user accounts, representatives of the Linux Kernel Organization provided no details other than saying that the infection:

A 47-page report summarizing Ebury’s 15-year history said that the infection hitting the kernel.org network began in 2009, two years earlier than the domain was previously thought to have been compromised.

Representatives of the Linux Kernel Organization didn’t respond to emails asking if they were aware of the ESET report or if its claims were accurate.

The original article contains 493 words, the summary contains 201 words. Saved 59%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

I routinely skip arstechnica articles. Too much sensationalism (for example the notorious ZFS article). It also collects way too much data about its visitors.