What is the ‘Bash’ bug?
The ‘Bash’ bug, also known ‘Shellshock’, is a vulnerability in a piece of software called Bash which is a command shell used in many Unix-based operating systems, including Linux and Mac OS X, routers, Android phones, servers, medical devices, and some of the computers that create Bitcoins.
As Bash is the part of a computer OS that is used to tell a system what you want it to do, any exploit could effectively allow hackers to take full control of your computer. Because of this, the threat has been labelled as worse than ‘Heartbleed’, the OpenSSL vulnerability that exposed software and other sensitive information to hackers.
While everyday users are unlikely to be affected by any Bash exploit, businesses have been warned of its dangers. Patches have been made available by developers, but users of any Unix system are urged to reduce the impact of any attack by ensuring updated security software is installed and all files are backed up using Cloud Online Backup.