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Novel attack against virtually all VPN apps neuters their entire purpose (arstechnica.com)

submitted 6 months ago by jeffw@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

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[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 62 points 6 months ago (2 children)

there are no ways to prevent such attacks except when the user's VPN runs on Linux or Android.

So . . . unix? Everything-but-Windows?

[–] freeman@sh.itjust.works 34 points 6 months ago

Maybe it affects BSD and MacOS.

It also can affect some Linux systems based on configuration. Android doesn't implement the exploited standard at all and is always immune.

[+] abhibeckert@lemmy.world -43 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (3 children)

Everything-but-Windows?

No. Any device that implements a certain DHCP feature is vulnerable. Linux doesn't support it, because most Linux systems don't even use DHCP at all let alone this edge case feature. And Android doesn't support it because it inherited the Linux network stack.

I would bet some Linux systems are vulnerable, just not with the standard network packages installed. If you're issued a Linux laptop for work, wouldn't be surprised if it has a package that enables this feature. It essentially gives sysadmins more control over how packets are routed for every computer on the LAN.

[–] gsfraley@lemmy.world 58 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

most Linux systems don't even use DHCP

WTF are you smoking? WTF is wrong with you that you think such a dumb claim would go unscrutinized? I would play Russian roulette on the chances of a random Linux installation on a random network talking DHCP.

Edit, in case being charitable helps: DNS and IP address allocation aren't the only things that happen over DHCP. And even then the odds are overwhelming that those are being broadcast that way.

[–] ElderWendigo@sh.itjust.works 43 points 6 months ago

because most Linux systems don't even use DHCP

This is the dumbest thing I've heard all day.

[–] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 8 points 6 months ago

As of this writing, 5 people who don’t know how DHCP works saw this comment