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The upcoming stable Mageia 8 release is still a long way ahead, but the latest update, Mageia 8 RC1 brings several core package updates.

While Mageia 8 Alpha 1 update was made available in July 2020 to early testers to help with the development of the stable final release of Mageia 8. With large scale updates to core packages as well as features to improve on what Mageia already offered; albeit the initial final release scheduled for September 18 has surpassed its estimated time.

Nonetheless, the first release candidate (RC1) which was announced on February 6, means that Mageia 8 development though a bit slow is still a work-in-progress.

What's New in Mageia 8 RC1



Mageia 8 RC1 brings the latest Linux Kernel 5.10.12 LTS, and update desktop environments such as Xfce 4.16, Mate 1.24 and Plasma 5.20.4. It uses the new GLVND (GL Vendor Neutral Dispatch) that allows you to install Mesa and any other third-party GL drivers in parallel, with improved performance and hybrid GPU configurations.



Also, Mageia 8 RC1 has updated the Java stack to version 11, with support for Java 8 removed (though users can still work with Java 8). Other core package updates in Mageia 8 RC1, includes:

  • LibreOffice 7.0.4.2
  • Chromium 88 (x86_64-only)
  • Python 3.8.5, Rust 1.48.0, Ruby 2.7.2
  • GCC 10.2.1, LLVM 10.0.1
  • Cinnamon 4.8.3
  • Systemd 246


Additionally, Mageia 8 RC1 also brings improvements in the Netinstall ISO image, which now allows installation via Wi-Fi connections using WPA encryption.

How to Download Mageia 8 RC1



If you want to give Mageia 8 RC1 a spin, you can download the torrent file or ISO image here. It offers installation media for both 32 and 64bit systems, with 64bit live images for Plasma, GNOME and Xfce, as well as 32bit live image for Xfce.

But as always recommended with pre-release images, do not install on your main system, and you should use your best judgement.

Mageia 8 Update: Release Candidate 1 (RC1) out with new GLVND support

Apple's new iOS 14.4 privacy policies is generating a whole lots of furore in the online advertising circle, especially as regards target advertising.

While Apple also brought a number of countermeasure with iOS 14.4 update to prevent attacks such as the introduction of a new, sandboxed 'BlastDoor' feature which is responsible for almost all the parsing of untrusted data in iMessage. BlastDoor forms the core of new security protections coming to the iPhone, with all inbound messages in a secure, sandboxed environment, preventing any maliciously crafted message from interacting with the operating system to access users data.

Besides these security enhancements, Apple’s new anti-tracking features has been seen as a big hit in the ad revenue generated by internet marketers and to companies that rely on cross-device user tracking and the resulting ad revenue to continue their offering of free services.

How the Anti-tracking Feature in iOS 14.4 update works?



The new Anti-tracking Feature in iOS 14 will inform iPhone users when an app is tracking their activities, with each app having to explicitly request from the user if it can track their activities before the use of the app.



And iPhone users will see a pop-up notification asking for tracking permissions when they open the app, as the app will also elaborate on what they use the data for so that the user will be well-informed before granting the permission. The app tracking transparency in iOS 14.4 means that every app will require that they ask for your permission first.

Apple aims to give users the freedom to choose whether they want any app to track their activities with the introduction of App tracking transparency.

Why the Future looks bleak for Targeted Advertising?



Even Google, whose revenue depends solely on the ad business, is obviously looking to bring anti-tracking feature to Android, albeit with less policing than Apple's iOS update.

And recently, the company announced a highly monumental change to its Chrome browser, which over the course of next two years, will phase out support for third-party cookies. The hint on the crumbling of cookie has definitely raised a lot of arguments among advertisers and publishers, as it will impact heavily on online marketing.

If third-party cookies are wiped out in Chrome, in that programmatic system, it means online advertisers will be unable to personalize or serve targeted ads for almost half of these audience, as statistics points to about two billion installation and one billion people using the browser each month.

Apple’s iPhone Anti-tracking features in the iOS 14.4 update

EndeavourOS team has announced the first release of 2021, EndeavourOS 2021.02.03, which follows on the heels of the regular desktop version 2020.09.19.

While the team also recently announced a new project that offers EndeavourOS for ARM computers, which is similar to the collaboration for EndeavourOS x86_64 and Arch Linux; EndeavorOS ARM aims to provide same experience on devices running ARM (Acorn RISC Machine) based processors.

EndeavourOS 2021.02.03 comes with improved features such as the live environment and updated offline option, that now installs the latest fully themed Xfce 4.16 desktop.

What's New in EndeavourOS 2021.02.03 Release?



EndeavourOS 2021.02.03 has the core software updated to latest versions, such as Linux Kernel 5.10.11.arch1-1, Nvidia 460.39-2, Mesa 20.3.4-1, Firefox 85.0-1, and Calamares 3.2.34-10.



And besides the updated offline option, that now installs the latest fully themed Xfce 4.16 desktop, EndeavourOS 2021.02.03 also added several new features as listed below:

  • Welcome app now supports Brazillian-Portuguese
  • GVFS packages are now only installed when chosen GTK environments
  • Reflector-bash-completion added to make the use of Reflector easier
  • For online install, mirrors will automatically update for a faster install and to decrease unresponsive mirrors
  • Reordering and adding packages installed to improve filesystem support on GTK and QT environments
  • QT environments have now kio-fuse, kio-gdrive and audiocd-kio installed by default
  • Alacrity added as one of the supported terminals for our native apps
  • Reflector-auto removed since Reflector has it shipped by default>


Additionally, there is a new option in Welcome –pkglist=URL to add additional packages on installation using user_pkglist.txt file which also can be found under user_pkglist.txt in the file liveusers home and users can edit it to install additional packages.

How to Download or Upgrade to EndeavourOS 2021.02.03



If you're a new user and want to try out the latest EndeavourOS 2021.02.03, you can get the ISO image from here.

However, you'll need a fresh installation of the latest ISO image as a first-timer. And if you encounter any issues, there are official installation instructions available here.

EndeavourOS 2021.02.03 Release brings Latest fully themed Xfce 4.16 desktop

There is a new DDoS Botnet, dubbed "Matryosh" which malware campaign leverages on Android devices to create a botnet with the primary purpose of carrying out DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks.

According to Qihoo 360's Netlab researchers, Matryosh has been discovered as reusing the Mirai botnet framework and propagates via Android Debug Bridge (ADB) interfaces to infect Android devices. While ADB command-line tool is part of the Android SDK that allows developers to debug apps and also, handles communications on Android devices.

Albeit, the command-line tool functions are turned off by default on most Android devices, but some vendors have this feature enabled, which could allow attackers to connect remotely and open the devices to exploitation.

How Matryosh DDoS Botnet targets Android-Based Devices



First, Matryosh decrypts the remote hostname and uses DNS TXT request to obtain TOR C2 and TOR proxy, which it then establishes a connection with the TOR proxy to communicate with the TOR C2 server through the proxy, and for further instructions from the server.



It is propagated via ADB, with the captured payload, whose main function is to download and execute scripts from the remote host. And the encryption algorithm implemented in Matryosh and the process of obtaining C2 are nested in layers. This botnet stands out from other such malware campaigns as it uses Tor to mask its activities and funnel the commands from an attacker-controlled server via the network.

And Matryosh also stores sensitive resources encrypted to prevent the relevant functions from being spotted by cybersecurity researchers.

Efforts to thwart Matryosh DDoS Botnet from Spreading



Matryosh's cryptographic design falls into the Mirai single-byte XOR pattern, which made it easy to be flagged by antivirus software as Mirai; but the changes at the network level indicates that its authors wanted to protect the C2 by downlinking the configuration from the cloud, which brings some difficulties to static analysis.

The act of putting all remote hosts under the same SLD, though not optimal, might change and Qihoo 360's Netlab researchers have promised to keep an eye on it. As all the related domains have been blocked by their DNSmon system.

New DDoS Botnet Spreading via Android devices

Solus is an independently developed Linux distribution for x86-64 architecture and features the homegrown Budgie desktop environment, GNOME, MATE or KDE Plasma as the desktop environment.

Now, the Solus team has released a new version of Solus 4 ‘Fortitude’ series, Solus 4.2 which follows on the heels of the previous version 4.1 with updates for the software stacks, multimedia, and hardware enablement.

Solus 4.2 offers different audio and video multimedia playback software out-of-the-box that caters specifically for each edition. With Budgie, GNOME, and MATE editions shipped with Rhythmbox for audio playback, MATE ships with VLC for video playback and KDE Plasma ships with Elisa for audio playback and SMPlayer for video playback.

What's New in Solus 4.2 Release?



Solus 4.2 ships with Linux kernel 5.10.12, which enables provide support for a range of the newer hardware, including AMD Ryzen 5th generation processors and Intel Comet Lake CPUs, such as Intel Core i9-10850K.



And Solus 4.2 also ships with the latest release of Budgie 10.5.2, GNOME 3.38 Stack (3.38.3), MATE 1.24, and Plasma Desktop 5.20.5, KDE Frameworks 5.78, KDE Applications 20.12.1 and QT 5.15.2, which brings several many new features. Other new features and hardware capabilities, include:

  • Support for Solarflare NICs
  • Improved exFAT file system support
  • Enabled ACPI and HID ambient light sensors
  • Realtek 8723DE and 8821CD PCI wireless network adapters
  • Support for setup / unlock / lock Locking ranges for SED devices using the Opal protocol
  • Enabled various modules required for software such as CTParental, Mininet, and ROCm
  • Several new USB cameras
  • XFS Online Repair


Additionally, Mesa has been upgraded to 20.3.3 and Solus 4.2 also introduces support for new GPUs, Vulkan 1.2 API support, with numerous fixes for the latest gaming titles, and ACO shader compilation is enabled by default for the RADV Vulkan driver.

How to Download or Upgrade to Solus 4.2



If you wish to try out the latest release of Solus v4.2, you can download the ISO image of your chosen edition here.

You can follow the Installation guide to determine what software to use to burn or write the Solus ISO to a DVD or USB drive. And if your system is UEFI-enabled, it is recommended that you follow the UEFI guide.

Solus 4.2 Release: Updated Budgie, GNOME, MATE and KDE Plasma

Microsoft has opened Azure Quantum, its cloud ecosystem for building quantum computing applications, to the public for use in a preview phase.

While Microsoft has been at the heart of creating a full software stack that will give developers a chance to learn about quantum computing programming; with its Q# language (pronounced “q sharp”) and simulator which were first announced in 2017, intended to bridge the functions, variables, and branches of traditional programming concepts.

Quantum computing is a relatively new field with built algorithms from wiring up logic gates; including vector and matrix mathematics, the qubit, Dirac notation, Pauli measurements, and quantum circuits.

Free trial for Azure Quantum cloud service



Microsoft announced on February 1, that the Azure Quantum cloud service will be available for a free trial. With developers, researchers, and other integrators able to use the platform to build different solutions leveraging the tools in a trusted public cloud.



The key component of the platform is the open source Quantum Development Kit developed by Microsoft with the Q# language for quantum programming. And Microsoft’s Quantum Intermediate Representation (QIR) featured as a common open source interface between the languages and target quantum computations.

Microsoft looks to partner with Honeywell Quantum Solutions and IonQ in providing quantum computing hardware. Microsoft has already made available a primer on essential quantum computing concepts, and the Q# development kit with detailed instructions on the installation and introductory programming tutorials.

Getting Started with Azure Quantum cloud service



Microsoft invites developers to explore the system, which will be offered on a pay-as-you go basis. Azure Quantum has been employed for applications such as freight optimization, cancer research, logistics and risk management.

Even as quantum computing is perceived as capable of disrupting many industries once it becomes available and ubiquitous, it will also help in solving pretty complex problems.

Microsoft opens up Azure Quantum cloud service for public preview

Ubuntu Core is a minimal and containerized version of the Ubuntu Linux distribution, designed specifically for IoT and embedded devices, with the latest version Ubuntu Core 20 based on Ubuntu 20.04 ‘Focal Fossa’ LTS.

While Ubuntu Core is aimed at offering a secure Linux experience for IoT with security and privacy features such as full disk encryption, secure boot and secure device recovery. Ubuntu Core 20 follows after Ubuntu Core 18 which was released in 2019, with Canonical already preparing for the next regular Ubuntu release v21.04 “Hirsute Hippo” scheduled for release on April 22, 2021.

The regular Ubuntu release uses the traditional Debian package system, but Ubuntu Core relies entirely on the universal package management system called snap, developed in-house by Canonical.

What's New in Ubuntu Core 20?



Ubuntu Core 20 brings several new security updates and features for better security, with all snaps on Ubuntu Core devices strictly confined and isolated to any compromised application getting the whole sytem infected.



Among the new security features is the secure boot by default with hardware-backed full disk encryption which ensures privacy and guarantee confidentiality from attackers. Other security enhancements in Ubuntu Core 20, includes:

  • Recovery and reinstall mode
  • Recovery mode chooser
  • Full-disk encryption via TPM integration


Additionally, there is support for Cloud-init and Initial MAAS, with ten years of support for Raspberry Pi (both ARMv7 and ARM v8).

How to Get Started with Ubuntu Core 20



Ubuntu Core 20 is currently available for download for x86_64 and ARM hardware, with the ISO images and if you wish to learn about Ubuntu Core, you can check out the official documentation.

Kindly note that the model definition has been expanded for UC20 devices to include several new options, notably grade and snaps.

Ubuntu Core 20: Containerized Linux distro for IoT and embedded devices

Operation NightScout, as dubbed by ESET researchers, is a highly-targeted surveillance campaign that involved distributing different malware families through malicious updates to targeted victims in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Sri Lanka.

According to ESET researchers, the new supply-chain attack targets online gamers via the compromising of the update mechanism of NoxPlayer.

NoxPlayer is developed by Hong Kong-based company named BigNox, with an estimated userbase of more than 150 million in over 150 countries; it allows users to play mobile games on both PC and Mac.

The malware campaign is believed to have started around September 2020, with the attacks continuing until "explicitly malicious activity" in the wild was discovered on January 25, which prompted ESET researchers to report the issue to BigNox.

How the New Supply‑Chain Attack Targets Online Gaming?



The malware campaign is based on compromised software whereby the delivered malware exhibits surveillance capabilities, which is believed indicates the intent of intelligence collection on targeted victims in the gaming community.



And the NoxPlayer update mechanism serves as the vector that delivers the trojanized version of the software, which upon installation, distributes three different payloads, including Gh0st RAT that spy on victims, captures keystrokes, and gathers other sensitive information.

There is also an instances where malware binaries like PoisonIvy RAT were downloaded by the NoxPlayer updater from remote servers under the control of the threat actors.

The malware loaders employed in the attack shared similarities with a breach of a Hong Kong university in 2020, which ESET claims the operators behind the attack were responsible for breaching BigNox's infrastructure, as evidence alludes that its API have been compromised.

How NoxPlayer users can Safeguard their Systems



For NoxPlayer users who are uninfected, it is advised that they desist from downloading updates until BigNox has fixed the vulnerabilities and sends notification that they've mitigated the security threat.

Furthermore, as a best security practice it is recommended that users should uninstall the software in order to be on the safer side, and any case of intrusion, users can perform a standard reinstall process.

Operation NightScout: New Supply‑Chain Attack Targeting Online Gaming

JingOS is a full-fledged Linux distribution based on Ubuntu, designed for tablets and capable of running Linux apps like Libre Office, VS Code, and many more.

While JingOS is inpired by iPadOS, and the iPadOS-like UI and UX coupled with Qt/Plasma-based experience is enough to get anyone excited by the emergence of this Ubuntu-based distro which users can now indulge in some hands-on experimentation.

The first public version 0.6 of JingOS is now available for download, albeit this version is intended for use by early-adopters, willing testers, and developers only.

What features are available for the JingOS v0.6 first public preview?



JingOS v0.6 first public preview comes with a raft of KDE applications preinstalled, which includes the KDE terminal app Konsole, WPS Office, camera utility, and Dolphin file manager and Chrome browser.



And the core JingOS desktop, and basic control centre are also present in the preview version and there’s a notification hub, task manager, and bespoke apps that are created exclusively for JingOS such as a calendar app, photos app and voice memo tool.

The obvious drawbacks include the fact that there are a tonne of missing apps, and features, with touchpad and touchscreen gestures only available on the Surface Pro 6 and Huawei Matebook 14 which are the two reference platforms supported by JingOS at present.

Also, there is no built-in update mechanism, and the versions of utilities like the system settings tool and file manager are missing too, and no virtual keyboard.

How to Download JingOS v0.6



If you wish to try out JingOS v0.6, you'll need to submit your email to get the download link. You can get more details on this build, a link to the mailing list (which is required to get a download link), and installation instructions (including “how to” get the .iso images working in VirtualBox) on the JingOS forum.

However, the more stable version of JingOS will be available in March, with versions 0.8 and 1.0 scheduled for release on March 31 and June 30, 2021, respectively.

JingOS v0.6 first public preview: New Linux distro designed for tablets

Libgcrypt is an open-source cryptography library developed as a separated module of GnuPG for encryption and signing of data and communications.

While Libgcrypt library is an implementation of OpenPGP and employed for digital security in several Linux distributions such as Gentoo and Fedora, it is not as popular as LibreSSL or OpenSSL.

Google Project Zero researcher, Tavis Ormandy disclosed a vulnerability in GnuPG's Libgcrypt library that could have allowed attackers to write arbitrary code on target machines, and potentially lead to remote code execution. Albeit, GnuPG has already fixed the bug almost within a day after the disclosure, and thereby urges all users to update their software to the latest version.

How the Libgcrypt Library bug could lead to remote code execution



The vulnerability which is present only in version 1.9.0 of libgcrypt, is a heap buffer overflow bug that's possible as a result of incorrect assumption in the block buffer management code, and decrypting data can lead to overflow of a heap buffer with attacker controlled data, without verification or signature validation before the vulnerability occurs.



GnuPG claims that the bug may have been introduced in version 1.9.0 during its developmental phase two years ago, which as part of a change to "reduce overhead on generic hash write function" could have tricked the application into running an arbitrary fragment of the maliciously embedded code.

And all an attacker needs to trigger the flaw is to send a block of specially-crafted data for decryption to the Libgcrypt library, which tricks the application to run an arbitrary fragment of malicious code embedded in it, also known as shellcode and crash any program that relies on the libgcrypt library.

It therefore demands immediate action as the 1.9.0 tarballs on FTP server have been renamed so that scripts would not be able to get this version anymore. And users have been urged to stop using the vulnerable version, by getting the latest version of the software which can be downloaded here.

Libgcrypt bug could allow attackers execute arbitrary code on target machine

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