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Sasha Levin (GAFAM) Wants 'Killswitch' for Linux (the Kernel)
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Help Net Security ☛ Linux developers weigh emergency “killswitch” for vulnerable kernel functions
Linux kernel developers are reviewing a proposal for an emergency risk mitigation mechanism (“Killswitch”) that would allow administrators to disable vulnerable kernel functions at runtime.
The proposal, submitted by Linux kernel developer/maintainer Sasha Levin, arrives in the wake of the public disclosure of two privilege escalation vulnerabilities affecting the Linux kernel.
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It's FOSS ☛ Linux is Getting a Kill Switch!
This AI-assisted patch would let admins disable vulnerable kernel functions until a proper fix ships.
Sasha Levin, NVIDIA engineer and co-maintainer of the stable and long-term support kernel trees, has proposed a new patch that adds a mechanism called killswitch to the Linux kernel.
It's pitched as a way for system administrators to disable a vulnerable kernel function on a running system, and the timing of it isn't a coincidence either. The patch follows the rising risk of Linux Privilege Escalation (LPE) vulnerabilities like Copy Fail and Dirty Frag.
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PC Gamer ☛ A killswitch has been pitched for the Linux kernel that could shut down vulnerable functions while users wait for patches
If you've ever felt anxious about the security of your machine while you wait for a solution to some vulnerability, a proposed change to the Linux kernel may interest you. Pitched by Nvidia staff Sasha Levin, it's effectively a killswitch that could shut down some functions while waiting for a more official solution.
As spotted by The Information, Levin writes, "Killswitch lets a privileged operator make a chosen kernel function return a fixed value without executing its body, as a temporary mitigation for a security bug while a real fix is being prepared"
Levin notes that when a security issue becomes public, many users of Linux are technically made more vulnerable until the patch is sent out into the world. You would naturally have to stay more vigilant and use the killswitch manually when issues are made known, but it gives some extra agency over your rig. Though the main focus are the commercial users that are most vulnerable, not your everyday Linux user.