Categories: Security

NSA tried to insert backdoor into Linux

Linux Torvalds during last LinixCon admitted to have received pressure from US Intelligence to insert a backdoor into Linux.

Linux Torvalds during a question-and-answer ‪session ‬at ‪the LinuxCon publicly admitted that the US Government requested him to insert a backdoor into Linux kernel. The circumstance must induce a reflection in all those experts that believe open source software is the unique possible reply to elude surveillance programs such as PRISM and BullRun.

Torvalds, considered the father of Linux kernel, attended the Linuxcon conference in New Orleans today with other top Linux developers, he replied to question on his OS, Microsoft, and other issues related to the events occurred in the last months.

The audience witnessed amused to answer provided by Torvalds to the specific question on the “call for surveillance” of the U.S. Intelligence.

Torvalds responded “no” while shaking his head “yes,”. Another participant in the conferences asked to Torvalds if he would be interested in becoming next Microsoft’s CEO, but the expert declined the idea answering with a smile, he remarked his great effort in the development of Linux that completely absorbs him.

He has spoken of the technological evolution since he started designing of Linux two decades ago, hardware platforms are changed profoundly and will change even more in the next future.

“Linux usage keeps changing. Linux today is very different from even ten years ago,” “I hope it will continue to meet new use cases.” said Torvalds.

Interesting an an anecdote explained by Torvalds, when he started he didn’t have money to run Unix on his own machine. He had to learn programming to create its own cheap system.

“Necessity made me try to do something,” Torvalds said.

Pierluigi Paganini

(Security Affairs – backdoor into Linux, Torvalds)

Pierluigi Paganini

Pierluigi Paganini is member of the ENISA (European Union Agency for Network and Information Security) Threat Landscape Stakeholder Group and Cyber G7 Group, he is also a Security Evangelist, Security Analyst and Freelance Writer. Editor-in-Chief at "Cyber Defense Magazine", Pierluigi is a cyber security expert with over 20 years experience in the field, he is Certified Ethical Hacker at EC Council in London. The passion for writing and a strong belief that security is founded on sharing and awareness led Pierluigi to find the security blog "Security Affairs" recently named a Top National Security Resource for US. Pierluigi is a member of the "The Hacker News" team and he is a writer for some major publications in the field such as Cyber War Zone, ICTTF, Infosec Island, Infosec Institute, The Hacker News Magazine and for many other Security magazines. Author of the Books "The Deep Dark Web" and “Digital Virtual Currency and Bitcoin”.