Sounds scary!

[thomholwerda@exquisite.social]

Sounds scary!

https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/01/never-before-seen-linux-malware-is-far-more-advanced-than-typical/

However, warning signs this is sensationliased scaremongering:

1. Published by Ars Technica.
2. Ars does not mention anything about how this scary malware is supposed to infect machines.
3. The researchers' blog post does not mention anything about how this scary malware is supposed to infect machines.
4. The underlying "research paper" does not mention anything about how this scary malware is supposed to infect machines.
5. The report is from a "security company" who just so happens to sell a product that mitigates this scary malware that doesn't seem to have a way to infect machines.

🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

[thomholwerda@exquisite.social]

Real security issues are discovered and reported by trans people hacking away on a 15 year old ThinkPad running NixOS - not by antivirus peddlers wearing suits.

The fact the tech press refuses to stop posting trash like this is sickening.

[groupnebula563@mastodon.social]

@thomholwerda I love that “published by ars technica” is its own bullet point lmao

[jkmcnk@mastodon.social]

@thomholwerda it does end with "with no indication that VoidLink is actively targeting machines, there’s no immediate action required by defenders" instead of "you need to buy this-and-that checkpoint thing or you and your loved ones and all the kittens in the neighbourhood will die a thousand burning deaths" so that's something I guess.

[guigsy@mstdn.social]

@thomholwerda I kind of assumed it was a malware toolkit that was useful once you'd broken in... but I know very little about cyber security. 😅

The quality of Ars has deteriorated since being owned by Conde Nast. Some of the cross network articles are pretty crappy. But the Ars in house stuff is still one of the best sources of general tech nerd news. It's probably the only site that's been in my bookmarks (or RSS feed) for 25 years.

[portaloffreedom@social.linux.pizza]

@thomholwerda what did I miss this time?
Edit: nevermind I'm stupid.

[simoncozens@typo.social]

@thomholwerda They do wear suits, but usually fursuits.

[nagaram@hachyderm.io]

@simoncozens
@thomholwerda

Its why I can't get into infosec. The uniform options are oppressive.

Its either fursuits or thigh highs and I can't do either!

[karolherbst@chaos.social]

@thomholwerda report it as "advertisement in journalism has to be clearly marked as such" 🙃

[tragivictoria@mastodon.catgirl.cloud]

@portaloffreedom@social.linux.pizza @thomholwerda@exquisite.social please dont insult yourself like that. Not knowing something doesnt mean you're stupid or dumb.

[portaloffreedom@social.linux.pizza]

@tragivictoria thanks for the concern. But in this case I jumped to write a question without realising that I was replying to an ongoing thread with the answer just there under my nose. It was a bit rude...

[msvx@piaille.fr]

@thomholwerda Reporting findings. Right. Right. Clearly would never just patch the keys and repurpose. That would be ... *checks notes* unteti... unetitic... unethithical ! Such wrong. Evilmaxxing. Would never do it. Would totally report never seen super stealth shiny toys so VC funded startups can sell overpriced signatures to scared and smol megacorpos.