ASLR bypassable=security problem

This is currently a non-trivial attack to implement and requires the attacker to already have the ability to run applications on the local machine. Coupled with a web server compromise or a SQL injection attack, however, it could conceivably be used as a privilege escalation attack. The basic take-away here is that you need to be sure you've got all your patches installed. Side-channel attacks like this (where the attack targets the system hardware as opposed to the software) are somewhat rare right now, but are only going to get worse as the software gets better at repelling other kinds of attacks.

The scary thing about all of this is that if someone successfully develops a hardware-based attack, it's likely that there's little can be done to mitigate it in most situations. Even if something can be done in the hardware, it will usually require a CHANGE in the hardware to implement the fix.

In this case, I'm not even sure there's something that CAN be done, since the attack is actually targeting hardware that NEEDS to operate pretty much the way it does.

A hardware attack could be something as simple as someone stealing your laptop or breaking into your house and stealing your desktop.
Unfortunately more threats are going to appear as Linux becomes more popular for home/entertainment use. Most of the threats I hear about are focused on web servers since that is where Linux is most prevalent.

This attack doesn't focus on Linux, indeed it doesn't care WHAT operating system you are using, and in most cases it doesn't even matter which PROCESSOR. Pretty much ANY MODERN processor is vulnerable, regardless of what operating system they are running.

There's another attack called RowHammer which works by attacking the physical structure of DRAM to selectively flip bits in memory. Again, it doesn't care about operating system (other than just needing to know which bits to flip in order to get root/admin access), nor does it care about processor. This attack was just recently demonstrated as being viable (it was previously an academic curiosity).

George, my friend...You remind me of a guy using a microscope for the first time. He's suddenly made aware that he's not alone!!
A terrorizing moment passes before he realizes that all those terrorizing creatures have always been there without doing to much harm.

But now that he is made aware of them he can to some degree arm himself in advance by good practices.
So in the end all the terror he had to endure in the beginning brings about a more secure situation.

Something that helps me sleep on my more insecure nights... Of all the hacks, bugs, scripts D-dos and friends that I have read about, I have actually personally encountered exactly Zero.

I have been hit by lighting as often as by hackers!

In short, a new parent worries, that's just what we do.":O}

Belie me, I once shared your MS PTS. But time has slowly changed me into a more trusting fellow.":O}

Welcome Pinky!

What interesting interests you have! I wasn't able to trigger a response in myself. Did anyone get the results expected?

I can see and hear you just fine, so you probably need no adjustments at this time.
The whole synthesizes thing warps my mind a bit trying to conceive of what such a cross wiring might be like.