ESET researchers uncover 'Bootkitty', a first-of-its-kind UEFI bootkit for Linux Bootkitty seems to be in early stages of development, but could pose a major risk Linux users warned to be on their guard against possible attacks UEFI bootkits are reportedly making their way into Linux,

This update is adding the following further details: this threat is not a UEFI firmware implant or rootkit, it's a UEFI bootkit attacking the bootloader. The Bootkitty sample analyzed by ESET was not unkillable.

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered the first-ever bootkit designed to target Linux systems and subvert their boot process for malicious purposes. The

This appears to be the first UEFI bootkit that goes beyond Windows and targets Linux machines, according to ESET security researchers.

The first UEFI bootkit specifically targeting Linux systems has been discovered, marking a shift in stealthy and hard-to-remove bootkit threats that previously focused on Windows.

Dubbed Bootkitty by its creators who go by the name BlackCat, the bootkit is assessed to be a proof-of-concept (PoC) and there is no evidence that it has been put to use in real-world attacks. Also tracked as IranuKit, it was uploaded to the VirusTotal platform on November 5, 2024.

ESET researchers have uncovered a prototype UEFI bootkit targeting Ubuntu Linux, marking an expansion of bootkit attacks beyond Windows.

Bootkitty doesn’t bite… yet Security researchers say they've stumbled upon the first-ever UEFI bootkit targeting Linux, illustrating a key moment in the evolution of such tools.… Dubbed "Bootkitty" by Slovak security shop ESET,

ESET's discovery of the first UEFI bootkit designed for Linux sendss an important message: UEFI bootkits are no longer confined to Windows systems alone.