Researchers discover "Bootkitty," the first UEFI bootkit for Linux

In a nutshell: A serendipitous discovery led to a new warning of threats against Linux. The open-source platform is becoming an increasingly tasty target for cyber-criminals, and malware writers are now looking to get to the lowest levels of the kernel as they already have on Windows.

"Bootkitty" is a new and concerning malware that targets Linux systems. Eset analysts recently discovered the bootkit in a previously unknown UEFI application (bootkit.efi) that someone uploaded to VirusTotal. While not yet complete, Bootkitty is described as the first UEFI bootkit for Linux that researchers have found.

Bootkits like BlackLotus are a particular kind of malware designed to infect the startup phase of the operating system. They conceal their presence and essentially obtain total control of the OS and user applications by replacing, compromising, or significantly changing the original boot loader or boot process.

The European researchers confirmed that Bootkitty targets Linux ...