UEFI boot kits are modern malware that infiltrates the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), a critical system component responsible for initializing hardware and loading the operating system. Once infected, even reinstalling the operating system or replacing the hard drive cannot eliminate the malware, making it extremely difficult to detect and remove.
Bootkitty specifically targets some Ubuntu distributions by relying on a self-signed certificate that bypasses Secure Boot protection. However, design flaws include hard-coded byte patterns, lack of kernel version control, and unused features, resulting in a “limited” attack range.
Despite existing restrictions, the emergence of Bootkitty points to a worrying evolution of malware targeting Linux, experts say.
Source: Ferra
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