How To Install Chkrootkit on openSUSE

In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Chkrootkit on openSUSE. Chkrootkit is a robust and versatile security tool that scans your Linux system for signs of rootkits, trojans, worms, and other malicious software. A rootkit is a type of malware that gains unauthorized access to your system, often by exploiting vulnerabilities or leveraging elevated privileges. Once installed, rootkits can hide their presence, making them challenging to detect and remove.

Chkrootkit employs a range of techniques to identify various types of rootkits, including kernel-level rootkits, loadable kernel modules (LKMs), and user-mode rootkits. It performs a comprehensive analysis of your system, examining critical areas such as system binaries, configuration files, and running processes, to detect any anomalies or suspicious activities.

This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you the step-by-step installation of the Chkrootkit on openSUSE.

Prerequisites

• A server running one of the following operating systems: openSUSE (Leap or Tumbleweed)
• It’s recommended that you use a fresh OS install to prevent any potential issues.
• You will need access to the terminal to execute commands. openSUSE provides the Terminal application for this purpose. It can be found in your Applications menu.
• You’ll need an active internet connection.
• You’ll need administrative (root) access or a user account with sudo privileges.

Install Chkrootkit on openSUSE

Step 1. Update System Packages.

To ensure a smooth installation process, it’s essential to update your openSUSE system packages to their latest versions. Open a terminal and run the following commands:

sudo zypper refresh
sudo zypper update

The zypper refresh command refreshes the repository cache, while zypper update upgrades all installed packages to their latest available versions. This process may take a few minutes, depending on the number of updates available and your internet connection speed.

Step 2. Installing Chkrootkit on openSUSE.

Before installing chkrootkit, you need to ensure that the openSUSE security repository is enabled on your system. This repository contains the latest security updates and tools, including chkrootkit. The commands to add the security repository may vary depending on your openSUSE version and architecture.

For openSUSE Tumbleweed (Rolling Release):

sudo zypper addrepo https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/security/openSUSE_Tumbleweed/security.repo
sudo zypper refresh

For openSUSE Leap 15.4 (x86_64):

sudo zypper addrepo https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/security/15.6/security.repo
sudo zypper refresh

With the security repository enabled, you can now proceed to install the chkrootkit package using the zypper package manager. Execute the following command:

sudo zypper install chkrootkit

Zypper will resolve any dependencies and download the necessary packages. Once the installation is complete, you should see a confirmation message indicating that chkrootkit has been successfully installed.

Step 3. Run Chkrootkit.

After the installation, you can run the chkrootkit tool by simply executing the following command:

sudo chkrootkit

Chkrootkit will initiate a comprehensive scan of your system, checking for various types of rootkits and malicious activities. The scan may take some time, depending on the size and complexity of your system.

During the scan, chkrootkit will display the progress and any potential issues or anomalies it detects. It is essential to carefully review the output and take appropriate action if any suspicious activities are reported.

Step 4. Analyze Chkrootkit Output.

Once the chkrootkit scan is complete, it will provide a detailed report of its findings. The output will indicate whether any rootkits or malicious software were detected, as well as any other potential security concerns.

If chkrootkit detects any rootkits or suspicious activities, it is crucial to take immediate action to mitigate the threat. This may involve further investigation, system hardening, or seeking professional assistance if necessary.

It is recommended to run chkrootkit regularly, as part of your security best practices, to ensure the ongoing integrity and security of your openSUSE system.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Chkrootkit. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing the Chkrootkit on your openSUSE system. For additional or useful information, we recommend you check the official Chkrootkit website.