shell-shocked: Updaing bash on Linux Mint Olivia

shell-shocked: Updaing bash on Linux Mint Olivia

I've go some old laptops running Linux Mint, Olivia release, based on Ubuntu Raring Ringtail which is not a long term support, and so no ready fix is available.

The bug is shown with this test

rm -f echo ; env X='() { (a)=>\' bash -c "echo date"; cat echo
bash: X: line 1: syntax error near unexpected token `='
bash: X: line 1: `'
bash: error importing function definition for `X'
Fri Sep 26 09:37:44 BST 2014

which wrongly creates a file called echo holding the output of the date command.

Here is what is required to fix the bash shell-shocked bug.

1. Update the no-longer supported repositories to the new location:

(You should already have done this).

You first need to make sure you have src-deb repositories enabled:

cd /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ 
test -r official-source-repositories.list ||
cp official-package-repositories.list official-source-repositories.list &&
sed -i -e 's/raring/trusty/g;s/^deb /^deb-src/' official-source-repositories.list

And then update the server to old-releases:

sed -i -e 's/archive.ubuntu.com\|security.ubuntu.com/old-releases.ubuntu.com/g' official-package-repositories.list
apt-get update

2. Install all updates for your system anyway

apt-get update
apt-get upgrade

3. Build bash from the trusty sources

apt-get build-essential bash
apt-get -b source bash

4. Install bash

dpkg -i bash*deb

5. Test the fix

# rm -f echo ; env X='() { (a)=>\' bash -c "echo date"; cat echo
bash: X: line 1: syntax error near unexpected token `='
bash: X: line 1: `'
bash: error importing function definition for `X'
date
cat: echo: No such file or directory

Could you spot a skimming cash machine?

Do you think you could spot a dodgy cash machine? I don't think I could - look at these pictures and see for yourself.

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Criminals increasingly are cannibalizing parts from handheld audio players and cheap spy cams to make extremely stealthy and effective ATM skimmers, devices designed to be attached to cash machines and siphon card + PIN data, a new report warns.

Dangers of using general purpose computers for specific purposes

The benefits of being able to use a general purpose computer for online banking is also the curse of being able to use a general purpose computer for online banking - namely all the other purposes for which the computer is used and by which it can be exploited.

Krebs on Security

An escrow firm in Missouri is suing its bank to recover $440,000 that organized cyber thieves stole in an online robbery earlier this year, claiming the bank’s reliance on passwords to secure high-dollar transactions failed to measure up to federal e-banking security guidelines.

MP's afraid to investigate News of the World?

"something is dangerously out of kilter" when MPs such as Adam Price on the Commons culture, media and sport select committee confess they have been "held back" from probing into News Corporation's affairs because of "fear of what that company might do to them" – or when former employees are "too frightened to speak publicly about what they know" .

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It's worth a fiver from me, and they take paypal. Standing up to be counted (if that's what it is) was never so easy.

http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/m/74c05d05/2d442c4a/58ac402e/4674fb5d/2183962099/VEsF/

Rusbridger warns of 'chilling effect' of News Corp's bid for BSkyB | Media | guardian.co.uk

www.guardian.co.uk

Guardian editor-in-chief argues that no individual or organisation should be allowed 'that much power'. By Dan Sabbagh