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MakuluLinux (6.4M Downloads) Ships Persistent Backdoor from Developer's Own C2

by werai on 1/29/2026, 6:18:22 PM

https://werai.ca/security-disclosure.html

Comments

by: sgc

This is why I won't use random distros, even if they have better features. It's just one more point of failure, one more point of unnecessary trust. I would rather fight to deal with specific problems with specific apps on one of the handful of core distros with long histories.

1/29/2026, 8:13:38 PM


by: sigio

The entire website looks shady, I can&#x27;t imagine anyone installing this.<p>Was there any analysis on what the binaries do, because it could theoretically be a really badly implemented &#x27;check for updates&#x27;.<p>Though I&#x27;m tempted to believe it is all part of a big scam :)

1/29/2026, 8:13:02 PM


by: thefz

&gt; This is exactly why the Human Router architecture exists. In a world where you cannot even trust your operating system vendor, every decision — every execution — needs a governance gate.<p>&gt; D = G × S. If G ≠ 1, D = 0. No action is routed without verified authority. No exceptions.<p>W... what?

1/29/2026, 8:14:51 PM


by: mrbluecoat

&gt; Discovered by Steven Stobo (WeRAI &#x2F; Haven AI)<p>AI pentesters and fuzzers will soon be the norm. And that&#x27;s a good thing.

1/29/2026, 8:00:04 PM


by: whalesalad

I genuinely don&#x27;t understand why anyone would use anything other than Debian (or Ubuntu), Fedora or Arch. Every other distro is a) based on one of those and b) is essentially just a package set + some wallpapers.

1/29/2026, 8:25:07 PM


by: OsrsNeedsf2P

This article is so painful to read. Do people not have shame in publishing slop?<p>&gt; MakuluLinux is not just an OS with a backdoor. It&#x27;s a delivery vehicle for a centralized AI-as-a-service platform.<p>But to the actual article point; it looks like this OS is designed to have these &quot;integration features&quot; that depend on a 3rd party connection. They could obviously be better - But the intent of them is very similar to how Android, Windows, or MacOS operate.

1/29/2026, 8:09:52 PM


by: LePetitPrince

[dead]

1/29/2026, 9:36:42 PM