Full Disclosure mailing list archives
Re: RE: Linux (in)security
From: Paul Schmehl <pauls () utdallas edu>
Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2003 16:04:17 -0500
--On Thursday, October 23, 2003 02:34:35 PM -0500 Ron DuFresne <dufresne () winternet com> wrote:
And I don't recall the last time that we had to back out a patch in an over 3500 Windows machines environment. In fact, in the last seven years, I can only recall two incidents where a patch had to be backed out, and both of those were servers with special applications on them.There's a vast difference in having to backout patches in complex production env;s and having a poor patch affect all or most every end desktop/home users system too though.
I'm not saying that it doesn't happen. It's just not as ubiquitous as some seem to think it is. There isn't a vast difference between patching Windows and patching *nix. At least not in my experience, which includes every version of Windows, RedHat 7-9, Solaris 7-9, OpenBSD 2.6-3.2, FreeBSD 4.7-5.1, Mac 0S 6-X and Gentoo. (I've installed others but don't have much patching experience on them because I usually dumped them quickly because I didn't like them.)
Every OS has its problems, and every OS has to be patched. And patching is a PITA no matter what OS it is. Some are just more of a PITA than others.
The myth of the vast superiority of *nix over everything else (WRT security and patching) is just that - a myth.
But this conversation has been going on for over 20 years and nothing has ever been settled. Nor will it be.
Paul Schmehl (pauls () utdallas edu) Adjunct Information Security Officer The University of Texas at Dallas AVIEN Founding Member http://www.utdallas.edu _______________________________________________ Full-Disclosure - We believe in it. Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html
Current thread:
- Re: Linux Exec Shield (was: Linux (in)security), (continued)
- Re: Linux Exec Shield (was: Linux (in)security) Peter Busser (Oct 23)
- Re: Linux Exec Shield (was: Linux (in)security) Arjan van de Ven (Oct 23)
- Re: Linux Exec Shield (was: Linux (in)security) Chris Ruvolo (Oct 24)
- Re: RE: Linux (in)security Shawn McMahon (Oct 22)
- Re: RE: Linux (in)security I.R. van Dongen (Oct 22)
- Re: RE: Linux (in)security Kenton Smith (Oct 22)
- Re: RE: Linux (in)security Robert Brockway (Oct 22)
- Re: RE: Linux (in)security John Sage (Oct 23)
- Re: RE: Linux (in)security madsaxon (Oct 23)
- Re: RE: Linux (in)security Ron DuFresne (Oct 23)
- Re: RE: Linux (in)security Paul Schmehl (Oct 23)
- Re: RE: Linux (in)security madsaxon (Oct 23)