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
Getting health advice from AI chatbots comes with a problem doctors may never see
Researchers say AI companies should face the same liability as doctors for bad health advice
ChatGPT and pills on the same canvas.

AI chatbots have quietly become a go-to source for medical advice the extent that some are dangerously skipping real doctors. But when AI's health advice goes wrong, doctors may never see the exchange behind it.

Researchers from Binghamton University, Stanford, Texas A&M, and Indiana University published a paper in Nature Health examining what happens after a chatbot gives you bad health information. Their biggest concern is not just that chatbots can be wrong. It is that those mistakes often leave no trace for doctors, researchers, or regulators to catch.

Read more
AI companies expect a catastrophic AI incident and are reportedly preparing for the aftermath
A major AI cyberattack could disrupt essential services, damage public trust, and spark a political fight over regulations.
openai-anthropic-logo-on-screen

Leaders at OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI companies are reportedly preparing for a potential AI disaster that could turn the public against artificial intelligence. According to an Axios report, industry leaders are privately running through possible scenarios for what happens after a catastrophic AI incident.

What kind of AI disaster are companies preparing for?

Read more
Elon Musk’s SpaceX just made a big move to become a mobile carrier heavyweight in the US
SpaceX moves closer to becoming a major US mobile carrier with $8 billion deal
spacex

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is moving past satellite internet, and it’s making a big move into the US wireless market. The company has agreed to buy cellular spectrum licences from investment firm Grain Management in a deal reportedly worth about $8 billion, its biggest move yet to compete with established mobile carriers such as AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, according to a WSJ report.

The deal is for spectrum in the 800MHz band, which is for mobile services delivered via terrestrial infrastructure such as cell towers, not satellites. If the acquisition is approved, SpaceX could combine those airwaves with its growing Starlink satellite network to create a more comprehensive wireless service.

Read more