The latest internet threat is called Log4j; it’s an internet vulnerability that can affect millions of users across the globe. The software records all activities that are performed on any computer system.
The U.S cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency director, Jen Easterly has said that Log4Shell is the most serious threat she has seen in her entire career. Hackers are setting up machines that can deliver malicious payloads, by scanning through the internet to find vulnerable servers. There have been millions of attempts to exploit this vulnerability.
It is an open-source software founded by Apache Software Foundation and Log4j records events and errors of routine software operations to communicate the message about them to system operators and users.
A common example of Log4j is when you get a 404 error message when you click or type on a bad web link. The web server running the domain tells you that there is no such web page available, but records the event in a log for the servers’ system administrators using Log4j. Similar diagnostic messages are used throughout different software applications. Log4j is used by the server to log activity in the online game Minecraft where the total memory used or user commands types in the console while playing online are saved in the backlog server.
How does Log4j Works?
So Log4j is a logging library that logs and keeps a record of your daily activities on the internet. Log4j allows third-party servers to submit software code on the targeted computers that perform nefarious activities such as slipping malicious content, stealing sensitive information, and/or taking control of the targeted system. Since logging is a fundamental system of every software, this risks widespread of Log4j.
This means hackers have a large base to choose from security researchers, source code developers, and service providers. Bigwigs like Apple or Amazon can tackle this issue but many small businesses can feel the burn of this who can’t quickly patch their web services.
