Throughout the last few days you may have heard news about the “Bash Bug”, a programming vulnerability posing a threat to Unix-based systems including Linux and Mac OS X. At CloudAccess.net we’ve done everything in our power to protect our network and our clients against the Bash Bug, but this blog contains some useful information that might help you take additional measures to protect yourself.

 

What is the Bash Bug?

Bash disrupts a computer or device’s normal operating system by taking control over the command prompt or “shell”, essentially telling the operating system what to do. Bash stands for “Bourne-again shell” and has also been referred to as “Shellshock”. The bug has been around since the 1980s, but has only recently been discovered and exposed as a threat. Without getting too technical, the bug enables outsiders to exploit the security of an affected device, computer or server.

The bug can impact a computer or device in many contexts. It can do damage by taking up bandwidth on an Internet router or if a hacker gets control of the bug, online passwords and databases may be exposed. Hackers could also install malicious programs on affected devices, computers or servers.

Protecting CloudAccess.net Clients

CloudAccess.net server administrators actively monitor numerous security channels and we became aware of the vulnerability immediately. We have taken every measure to protect our clients, like we always do. We applied the security updates to our all systems as soon as it was made available. We want to emphasize that our clients have to take NO action to protect their applications on our network.

Protecting Yourself

It’s important to note that experts agree that it’s not time to panic, but it’s a good idea to update anything using a version of Linux. Popular Linux distributions like Red Hat and Ubuntu have already released patches. At this time, Apple has stated that most OS X users aren’t at risk, but a patch is coming soon.

We hope this information has been helpful. If you have any additional questions about the security of our network, feel free to submit a support ticket. Thank you for choosing CloudAccess.net!