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For some random server, sure. For a state sponsored attack? Having an embedded exploit you can use when convenient, or better yet an unknown exploit affecting
by tw04 3y ago
For some random server, sure. For a state sponsored attack? Having an embedded exploit you can use when convenient, or better yet an unknown exploit affecting every linux-based system connected to the internet that you can use when war breaks out - that's invaluable.
- eru 3y agoYes, but even states have only finite resources, so even for them compromising an account would be cheaper. (But you are right that a sleeper would be affordable for them.)
- treflop 3y agoHaving one or two people on payroll to occasionally add commits to a project isn't exactly that expensive if it pays off. There are ~29,000,000 US government employees (federal, state and local). Other countries like China and India have tens of millions of government employees.
- microtonal 3y agoAnd they might as well be working on compromising other projects using different handles.
- eru 3y agoNot all government employees are equally capable.
- EvmRoot 3y agoEven if they contract it out, at $350/hr (which is not a price that would raise any flags), that is less that $750k. Even with a fancy office, couple of laptops and 5' monitors, this is less than a day at the bombing range or a few minutes keeping an aircraft carrier operational. Even a team of 10 people working on this - the code and social aspect - would be a drop in the bucket for any nation-state.
- dgellow 3y agoIt’s a very cheap investment given the blast radius