Looking for Advice to Secure MX Linux Installation

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skidoo
Posts: 753
Joined: Tue Sep 22, 2015 6:56 pm

Re: Looking for Advice to Secure MX Linux Installation

#11 Post by skidoo »

AK-47 wrote: Fri May 17, 2019 5:41 am remove tumbler/tumblerd
I hear ya (purging tumbler-common will rid all the dependants) but I regard gvfs as a more significant "soft spot". Last I checked, any data/metadata written into the gvfs datastore by an app running as your user, can be read by any other gvfs-aware app launched by your user. Example: user installs "Gnome Maps" ~~ upon each launch, without gaining informed consent (and, in fact, performed entirely out-of-band) it retrieves gvfs-resident geoclue data and transmits your gelolocation to a "partner" remote server. The plausible deniability (er, rationalized justification) for this default behavior:
"user might want to view a 'YouAreHere' local map so, forYourConvenience we preload and cache a 'here' map"

____________
related:
GECOS
accountsservice
^----- known, predicatable, location ripe for exfiltration of personal details via accountsservice -enabled apps (or their plugins//addons)

pedaltothemetal

Re: Looking for Advice to Secure MX Linux Installation

#12 Post by pedaltothemetal »

Thank you for the amazing suggestions everybody. You guys are amazing for sharing these great tips. I just had a few more questions:

1. I'm curious what everyone out there is using for antivirus/antimalware protection?

2. On a similar note, I read that Linux Mint was hacked a few years ago and that malware was uploaded to their servers. What kind of measures does MX Linux have in place to prevent this kind of problem? Does MX Linux receive all its updates from Debian's servers?

3. I see that the install CD gives me two install options: the GUI and Customize Boot (Text Menus). I'm thinking of using the GUI install and wondering if GUI install will minimize unnecessary packages? I just want to make sure that I don't accidentally turn on an unnecessary Linux services.

I'm mainly using my machine for documents/spreadsheets (Libreoffice) and web browsing, and no file shares so I know I don't need to install Samba. Thanks again for all the great advice.

skidoo
Posts: 753
Joined: Tue Sep 22, 2015 6:56 pm

Re: Looking for Advice to Secure MX Linux Installation

#13 Post by skidoo »

1) No "antivirus" in use here (nor any anti-deer whistles glued to my truck fenders).

2) What measures are in place? All of them. Thank you, please drive thru.
The packages are cryptographically signed by the packagers, and are delivered via https transport...
Any deeper explanation of under-the-hood details, or any handwringing regarding potential "repo getting hacked", is unwarranted here.

3) regardless which installer you use... post-install yer gonna launch the terminal command "sysv-rc-conf" and VERIFY which services have been configured to autostart, right? So, "which installer" is moot.

Regarding samba, it probably needs to remain "installed" (UNinstalling it would also cause removal of quite a few of its dependant) but its associated services can be set disabled.

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