January 29, 2026
Backdoor or just bad devs?
MakuluLinux (6.4M Downloads) Ships Persistent Backdoor from Developer's Own C2
Linux fans are split: sneaky spyware or sloppy coding — and the comments are savage
TLDR: A GitHub disclosure claims MakuluLinux includes a persistent “check.bin” that contacts a developer-run server, sparking panic and cleanup tips. Commenters split between calling it spyware, blaming sloppy design, and swearing off niche distros, with extra laughs at the mysterious “Human Router” math.
A bombshell disclosure alleges MakuluLinux ships a persistent “check.bin” that phones home to a developer-controlled server, turning a “free AI OS” into a remote-control headache. The evidence trail lists files like /usr/bin/check.bin and a German-hosted VPS, with 40+ AI features routed through one box. Cue the comment circus.
The loudest voices? Security hawks yelling “never trust random distros,” led by folks like sgc who’d rather stick to battle-tested Linux families. Skeptics like OsrsNeedsf2P torched the write-up as “slop,” arguing it might just be clumsy cloud features. Meanwhile, sigio squinted at the site and said the quiet part: “tempted to believe it is a big scam.”
Then came the memes. The article’s “Human Router” mantra — “D = G × S” — left readers going W… what? and dunking on the algebra evangelism. Others joked that the server is “Raymer-as-a-Service,” and that check.bin is the “snitch” that never sleeps. One commenter cheered the detective work: mrbluecoat says AI pentesters and fuzzers — robots that test for security holes — will be standard.
Bottom line: whether backdoor or boneheaded design, the community is in popcorn mode. If you run MakuluLinux, the fix-it commands and full disclosure are getting shared fast.
Key Points
- •The article alleges MakuluLinux installs a persistent backdoor binary (check.bin) that communicates with a C2 server at 217.77.8.210:2006.
- •Infrastructure linked to the system includes domains hosted by Contabo GmbH and Trouble-free.net, with registrant locations in Vietnam and South Africa.
- •AI features in MakuluLinux act as thin clients proxying requests to OpenAI and Hugging Face via the developer’s single VPS, with licensing enforced by verification.bin.
- •Port mapping shows AI tools use HTTPS to multiple services while check.bin uses raw TCP on the same port (2006); updates over HTTP can push binaries with root execution.
- •The article provides mitigation steps: kill check.bin, remove binaries and autostart, block the C2 and domains, disable update scripts, and change credentials/keys.