Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. Web
  4. Legacy Archives

How to update Ubuntu to plug the Heartbleed OpenSSL flaw

By
Add as a preferred source on Google

The Heartbleed OpenSSL bug is unlike virtually any Internet security threat you’ve probably ever heard of. It’s not a virus that’s specific to one operating system or type of device. Since it revolves around a flaw in the method of encryption used by many of the world’s websites, it affects almost everyone who uses the Internet, including people who operate servers that run Ubuntu Linux, the free, open-source operating system.

MORE: Which websites are affected by the Heartbleed OpenSSL encryption bug?

Recommended Videos

Fortunately, with the help of a few commands, you can check whether the version of Ubuntu you’re using is vulnerable to the Heartbleed bug, and also update Ubuntu to ensure that the vulnerability is sealed and patched. It’s important to note that multiple versions of Ubuntu are affected, including Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, Ubuntu 12.10, and Ubuntu 13.10, so it’s imperative that you ensure that the version you run is safe — or update to one that is. Here’s how, according to ansoncheunghk.info.

  1. First, run this command: # sudo openssl version -a. What’s important here is the line that starts with “built on,” which gives you a date for the version of Ubuntu you’re running on your server. If you’re using a version dated before April 7, it is vulnerable to the Heartbleed bug. If it’s dated on or after April 7, you’re in the clear. Here’s what to do if you aren’t, like the the version pictured below, which is dated June 4, 2013.
ubuntu command 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

           2. Run this command: # sudo apt-get dist-upgrade. This will patch your version of Ubuntu with the latest security update.

ubuntu command 2
Image used with permission by copyright holder

              3. Then restart your Ubuntu server using this command: # sudo reboot. Once reboot is complete, use the same command you used in Step 1 to verify that your Ubuntu install is dated for April 7 or later by checking the line that begins with “built on.”

ubuntu command 3
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Do you have any other tips for how to make Ubuntu safe from the Heartbleed bug? If so, please share them in the comments below.

MORE: How to check if a website is vulnerable to the Heartbleed bug

Image credit: http://www.themebin.com

Body image credits: http://www.ansoncheunghk.info

Konrad Krawczyk
Konrad Krawczyk
Former Computing Editor
Konrad covers desktops, laptops, tablets, sports tech and subjects in between for Digital Trends. Prior to joining DT, he…
Topics
Microsoft has begun rolling out Copilot Code for building apps with natural language
The workplace-focused vibe coding tool can pull context from emails, documents, meetings, and chats.
Microsoft Copilot code logo

Microsoft introduced Code last month as one of the three core parts of its revamped Copilot app. The app was pitched as an easy-to-use coding agent that lets users describe what they want to build in natural language, like an app, a tracker, a dashboard, an automation, or a workflow, and Copilot would build it for them.

Essentially, it's a workplace-focused vibe-coding app that turns existing work into a functional app, and Microsoft has begun rolling it out through the Frontier program.

Read more
AI agents are acting like rogues and causing a huge headache for US banks
US banks block AI agents over fears they could make unauthorised financial moves
Banking

US banks are facing a new kind of digital headache: artificial intelligence agents attempting to access customer accounts and perform actions that may go beyond what users intended. As AI tools become more capable of navigating websites and carrying out tasks independently, financial institutions are scrambling to prevent them from crossing security boundaries.

According to a report published by Axios on October 22, major US banks have detected third-party AI agents operating inside customer accounts without authorisation. Some agents reportedly appeared to attempt actions independently of user instructions. The banks involved have not publicly detailed every incident, and there is no evidence that the reported activity resulted in widespread theft of customer funds.

Read more
Canva enters the AI image generation race with Craft, and it’s thinking beyond pretty pictures
The new model plans layouts before generating images, with precise editing and support for 30 aspect ratios.
Canva Craft Featured Image

AI can generate all kinds of pretty pictures, but getting it to spell a headline correctly or keep a poster's layout intact can be another story. Canva wants to fix that with Canva Craft, its first in-house image generation model. Rather than focusing primarily on photographs, Craft is designed around the posters, presentations, social media graphics, and other visual content people actually create. The goal is simple: spend less time fixing AI's mistakes and more time making something useful.

Canva Craft plans before it generates

Read more