- wlug - list.wlug.org.nz

Firefox: libavcodec may be vulnerable or is not supported, and should be updated to play video
by Peter Reutemann 01 Dec '16

01 Dec '16

Hi everyone Being on Linux Mint 17, I've noticed that Chromium stopped playing certain animated gifs a few weeks (probably after an upgrade of the browser). Switching to Firefox, I had the same problem, but I got at least a message: libavcodec may be vulnerable or is not supported, and should be updated to play video Following the instructions here solved my problem: http://superuser.com/a/1137409 However, Chromium still doesn't work. Maybe it's not linking to the libavcodec libraries, but including them in their build, using the outdated Mint 17 libraries. Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann Dept. of Computer Science University of Waikato, NZ +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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Android’s Market Share Grows Because It Can Fit Any Niche, Big Or Small
by Lawrence D'Oliveiro 01 Dec '16

01 Dec '16

<http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/12/androids-market-share-grows-because-…> How Android began: Android started out as an advanced platform for digital cameras with network connections. When Android, Inc. founders Andy Rubin and Matias Duarte realized that the camera market was too small to carry a whole new business structure, the company ported its software over to the more promising smartphone sector. Not so convinced about this: These days, you can modify and build almost all of Android from freely available code, but the remaining Google-specific bits are almost compulsory in order to provide a high-quality user experience. considering that there are hundreds of millions of Android users in China who have probably never heard of Google. And for those hankering after more, shall we say, venerable form factors: Pining for a physical keyboard? There are still Android models with that feature. ... Looking for a flip-phone with smartphone features? Lesser-known device makers like Freetel can hook you up. Samsung took that idea one step further with the W2016 flip-phone, which comes with separate screens on the inside and the outside of the fold, along with a physical T9 keypad. etc etc.

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Oracle Abandoning Solaris?
by Lawrence D'Oliveiro 01 Dec '16

01 Dec '16

Seems like every OS that gets to call itself “Unix” is either dead or dying... <http://phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Oracle-Solaris-Demise-Rumors>

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feature update (formerly known as upgrade)
by Ian Young 01 Dec '16

01 Dec '16

The detailed content is a bit beyond my pay grade but I did like the bit about upgrade being displaced by feature update. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/12/01/upgrade_shift_f10_pops_win10_system…

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Firefox Zero-Day Can Be Used To Unmask Tor Browser Users
by Peter Reutemann 01 Dec '16

01 Dec '16

'A Firefox zero-day being used in the wild to target Tor users is using code that is nearly identical to what the FBI used in 2013 to unmask Tor-users. A Tor browser user notified the Tor mailing list of the newly discovered exploit, posting the exploit code to the mailing list via a Sigaint darknet email address. A short time later, Roger Dingledine, co-founder of the Tor Project Team, confirmed that the Firefox team had been notified, had "found the bug" and were "working on a patch." On Monday, Mozilla released a security update to close off a different critical vulnerability in Firefox. Dan Guido, CEO of TrailofBits, noted on Twitter, that "it's a garden variety use-after-free, not a heap overflow" and it's "not an advanced exploit." He added that the vulnerability is also present on the Mac OS, "but the exploit does not include support for targeting any operating system but Windows." Security researcher Joshua Yabut told Ars Technica that the exploit code is "100% effective for remote code execution on Windows systems." "The shellcode used is almost exactly the shellcode of the 2013 one," tweeted a security researcher going by TheWack0lian. He added, "When I first noticed the old shellcode was so similar, I had to double-check the dates to make sure I wasn't looking at a 3-year-old post." He's referring to the 2013 payload used by the FBI to deanonymize Tor-users visiting a child porn site. The attack allowed the FBI to tag Tor browser users who believed they were anonymous while visiting a "hidden" child porn site on Freedom Hosting; the exploit code forced the browser to send information such as MAC address, hostname and IP address to a third-party server with a public IP address; the feds could use that data to obtain users' identities via their ISPs.' -- source: https://yro.slashdot.org/story/16/11/30/2156218 Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann Dept. of Computer Science University of Waikato, NZ +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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More Than 1 Million Android Devices Rooted By Gooligan Malware
by Peter Reutemann 30 Nov '16

30 Nov '16

'A new version of an existing piece of malware has emerged in some third-party Android app stores and researchers say it has infected more than a million devices around the world, giving the attackers full access to victims' Google accounts in the process. The malware campaign, known as Gooligan, is a variant of older malware called Ghost Push that has been found in many malicious apps. Researchers at Check Point recently discovered several dozen apps, mainly in third-party app stores, that contain the malware, which is designed to download and install other apps and generate income for the attackers through click fraud. The malware uses phantom clicks on ads to generate revenue for the attackers through pay-per-install schemes, but that's not the main concern for victims. The Gooligan malware also employs exploits that take advantage of several known vulnerabilities in older versions of Android, including Kit Kat and Lollipop to install a rootlet that is capable of stealing users' Google credentials.Although the malware has full remote access to infected devices, it doesn't appear to be stealing user data, but rather is content to go the click-fraud route. Most users are being infected through the installation of apps that appear to be legitimate but contain the Gooligan code, a familiar infection routine for mobile devices.' -- source: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/16/11/30/1720202 Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann Dept. of Computer Science University of Waikato, NZ +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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expanding Europe's Linux Presentation Day to New Zealand
by Hauke Laging 30 Nov '16

30 Nov '16

Hello, in May 2015 Berlin's Linux user group (BeLUG) has started a new type of event which has spread quickly all over Europe: the Linux Presentation Day (LPD) 2015.1: Berlin only 2015.2: 72 cities in three countries 2016.1: 110 cities in 10 countries 2016.2: 150+ cities in 14 countries (on October, 22nd) I contact you because we intend to expand the LPD beyond Europe next year. The aim of the LPD towards the general public is to provide biannual and comprehensive information events about Linux for private users who would like to get a first impression of Linux. The aim towards the media is to make the event so big (both nationally and internationally) that the nationwide non-IT media cover it regularly. The aim towards the Linux community is that an LPD event can be so small and easy to organize (even without costs) that really everyone can try to organize an event with good chances of success. The local organizers decide on their own what their event shall be like; we just make suggestions and offer support. You can find a longer description of the concept here: http://www.linux-presentation-day.org/idea/ Are you as an organization interested in participating in the LPD? If not: Are any of your members interested in helping us bring the LPD to New Zealand? This event is very useful for finding new LUG members. Best regards, (Mr.) Hauke Laging -- http://www.linux-presentation-day.org/ International phone contact for the Linux Presentation Day: tel:+49-30-55579620 (13:00–23:00, German and English) XMPP (Chat with OTR): linux-presentation-day(a)jabber.ccc.de OTR: 91626899 1C06F2BD 75EC2441 35C696CE 38F75997

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Westpac one and online banking
by Ron Dean 30 Nov '16

30 Nov '16

Apparently I was in error that Westpac would be closing its browser based online banking. Its still available through a browser just not the original Online banking. Thanks for all your comments -- Ron Dean

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Jolla's Sailfish OS Now Certified as Russian Government's First 'Android Alternative'
by Peter Reutemann 29 Nov '16

29 Nov '16

'The future for one of the few remaining alternative mobile OS platforms, Jolla's Sailfish OS, looks to be taking clearer shape. Today the Finnish company which develops and maintains the core code, with the aim of licensing it to others, announced Sailfish has achieved domestic certification in Russia for government and corporate use. TechCrunch adds: In recent years the Russian government has made moves to encourage the development of alternatives to the duopoly of US-dominated smartphone platforms, Android and Apple's iOS -- flagging Sailfish as one possibility, along with Tizen. Although Sailfish looks to have won out as the preferred Android alternative for Russia at this point. The government has said it wants to radically reduce its reliance on foreign mobile OSes -- to 50 per cent by 2025 vs the 95 per cent of the market garnered by Android and iOS in 2015. Sailfish's local certification in Russia also follows an announcement earlier this year that a new Russian company, Open Mobile Platform (OMP), had licensed the OS with the intention of developing a custom version of the platform for use in the domestic market. So, in other words, a Russian, strategic 'Android alternative' is currently being built on Sailfish.' -- source: https://yro.slashdot.org/story/16/11/29/208245 Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann Dept. of Computer Science University of Waikato, NZ +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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Westpac insisting that Banking be done with Android or IOS
by Ron Dean 29 Nov '16

29 Nov '16

I always do my banking with a Linux Desktop and keep the system up to Date and do it through a web browser. It seems less secure with my android devices as they don't provide frequent updates as Ubuntu does. Should I change Banks? -- Ron Dean

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