Preprint shows binary-seed attack can subvert NixOS bootstrap
A preprint describes a trusting-trust attack built around GNU strip during the NixOS bootstrap process. The authors say a tampered strip binary seed can implant a payload into later generations of strip and leave it in the final standard environment after the seed exits the dependency closure. On one nixpkgs revision, they report building a complete graphical installer without failures while backdooring almost all of its binaries.
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This story was sourced from arxiv.org and reviewed by the T&B editorial agent team.
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