Since 2009, more than 12 years ago, all major Linux distributions have been incorporating a high severity security hole that remained unnoticed until just recently. The vulnerability and exploit, dubbed “PwnKit” (CVE-2021-4034), uses the vulnerable “pkexec” tool, and allows a local user to gain root system privileges on the affected host. Polkit (formerly PolicyKit) is a component for controlling system-wide privileges in Unix-like operating systems.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) requires healthcare entities to implement policies and procedures to safeguard the privacy and security of the protected health information (PHI) of patients. One core requirement is to perform risk assessments. This article explains what a risk assessment is according to HIPAA and offers guidance about the steps involved.

Cryptocurrency mining has become very popular among malicious actors that aim to profit by exploiting cloud attack surfaces. Exposed Docker APIs have become a common target for cryptominers to mine various cryptocurrencies. According to the Google Threat Horizon report published Nov. 29, 2021, 86% of compromised Google Cloud instances were used to perform cryptocurrency mining.