Linux doesn't even need a virus to erase all your data!

[bekdik]

a nasty bug that has the potential to wipe out every single personal file on your PC. Even worse, users say the bug will even wipe out documents on USB connected drives. So much for local backups.

 

[DA-LION-619]

Click bait

If you’re a Steam fan running Linux, the last thing you’ll want to do in the next few days is mess with your Steam files. Users on*Valve’s GitHub Steam for Linux page*are complaining about a nasty bug that has the potential to wipe out every single personal file on your PC. Even worse, users say the bug will even wipe out documents on USB connected drives. So much for local backups.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

Shellshock bug again?

 

[ozziej]

Nope. Just a stupid bug in a steam script that doesn't check if a directory exists. So it does an rm-rf on ./

 

[SYNERGY]

Nope. Just a stupid bug in a steam script that doesn't check if a directory exists. So it does an rm-rf on ./

Ouch. On a related note, just gave Zorin OS a try. It's not half bad at all.

 

[GreGorGy]

Zorin is fantastic.

 

[adrianx]

What a weird thread title!?

Steam ≠ Linux and I can quite easily do the same thing in Windows, right in the GUI if I wanted to.

 

[garyc]

Valve using an rm -rf in the Steam client without bothering to test it properly is outright negligence. Going to Valve's page they don't even bother to warn their customers about the issue - they just tell you how to spend more money with them.

Looking at this company's approach to coding it may be best to have the backup disks disconnected when running Steam, no matter what the OS.

 

[garyc]

An update at http://news.softpedia.com/news/Linux-Is-Safe-Again-Valve-Fixes-Steam-But-That-Could-Delete-All-Files-on-System-470558.shtml

Valve has upgraded the Steam client and they fixed that terrible bug that would allow the application to actually delete every file that was owned by the user.

 

[Rickster]

Can anyone confirm if this is fixed 100%?