RATting and Linux

[neu5eeCh]

Listened to a good program on Fresh Air today, during which RATting (http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/consumer-security/how-hackers-can-switch-on-your-webcam-and-control-your-computer-20130328-2gvwv.html) was discussed. That got me curious, do RATters primarily attack Windows, or are there also Linux exploits? Disclaimer: I understand that this is different from a virus. We're talking malware that's usually installed by the unwitting user. I'm just wondering whether RATting has occurred on Linux systems?

[papibe]

Hi VTPoet.

RAT is a generic term for gaining access remotely without authorization. They usually are trigger by some kind of malware.

RATing into a Ubuntu or Linux machine it is very possible, however since the chances of getting common malware are slim, so are the possibilities of that happening in Linux.

Since in Linux you can do almost everything from the command line (ssh), the weakest links for a Linux machines, IMHO, would be:

enabling ssh on a machine that doesn't need it, and
a short and/or a weak password (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Password_strength).


Just my thoughts.
Regards.

[neu5eeCh]

Thanks. I've been googling, and it looks like RATting malware is primarily (if not almost entirely) written for windows. I saw a mention of attacking WINE in cases where Linux users are gaming through WINE, but it appears that the hackers were speculating.