this post was submitted on 29 Apr 2025
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I mean, but we pretty much do know? The difference between Linux and Windows / MacOS is Linux is open source and can be checked and audited by anyone. If an exploit exists, it will be visible publicly and just needs to be spotted by those knowledgeable enough. Windows and MacOS are more than likely audited too but by private companies under NDA, so then it's left up to Microsoft or Apple to decide what exploits are fixed.
I agree completely that open source can be audited by anyone, but I did read something tried to be sneaked into an update, and you never really know, software is complicated and maybe some roundabout way to have an exploit using code that looks like it’s intent was something different.
Ah yes, I think that was when a FOSS maintainer had to step down and handed it off to someone else if I remember right? See this XKCD for relevance. It's pretty ridiculous how much we (and companies with billion dollar revenues) rely on the free work of others for such important systems. But yes, an important distinction to make is that certain Linux distributions may use code by others that is not open source and malicious without them realizing.