this post was submitted on 10 Feb 2025
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    I didn't know you were supposed to disable root user... (linux.community)
    submitted 2 days ago by [email protected] to c/linuxmemes
    171 comments fedilink hide all child comments
     

    Background: 15 years of experience in software and apparently spoiled because it was already set up correctly.

    Been practicing doing my own servers, published a test site and 24 hours later, root was compromised.

    Rolled back to the backup before I made it public and now I have a security checklist.

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    [–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

    Are you talking a VPN running on the same box as the service? UDP VPN would help as another mentioned, but doesn't really add isolation.

    If your vpn box is standalone, then getting root is bad but just step one. They have to own the VPN to be able to even do more recon then try SSH.

    Defense in depth. They didn't immediately get server root and application access in one step. Now they have to connect to a patched, cert only, etc SSH server. Just looking for it could trip into some honeypot. They had to find the VPN host as well which wasn't the same as the box they were targeting. That would shut down 99% of the automated/script kiddie shit finding the main service then scanning that IP.

    You can't argue that one step to own the system is more secure than two separate pieces of updated software on separate boxes.

    [–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

    Why is your VPN jump box better than an SSH jump box?