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Tesla releases source code for some of its in-car tech
Tesla doesn't have many fans in the open source crowd. It based its car platforms on open platforms like Linux and BusyBox, but it has gone years without sharing the source code their license (the GPL) requires. The company is finally setting things right, though -- more or less, that is. It has posted the source code for both the material that builds the Autopilot system image as well as the kernels for the Autopilot boards and the NVIDIA Tegra-based infotainment system used in the Model S and Model X. While they don't represent the absolute latest code, Tesla is promising to keep pace with newer releases.
Malware turns hundreds of security cameras into a botnet
Closed-circuit security cameras are supposed to make you safer, but some malware is turning them into weapons. Researchers at Incapsula have discovered code that turned about 900 Linux-based CCTV cameras into a botnet, which promptly bombarded an unnamed "large cloud service" that serves millions of people. The intruders compromised cameras from multiple brands, all of which had lax out-of-the-box security -- in some cases, they'd been hacked by more than one person.
Verizon sued over GPL code in FiOS routers
Uh-oh, it looks like Verizon's been too busy ramping up speeds on its FiOS network to mind a little thing called the GPL -- the company has just been sued for using a GPL'd app called BusyBox in its FiOS routers but not providing the source code. BusyBox is a bundle of utilities used in embedded Linux applications, and the authors have been pretty vigilant in policing GPL-compliance in distributions that include it -- they've sued two other companies that have shipped devices with BusyBox, and gotten settlements both times. We're not sure what Verizon is doing with BusyBox on its routers or why it hasn't released the source, but expect this one to reach a resolution rather quickly.Disclaimer: Although this post was written by an attorney, it is not meant as legal advice or analysis and should not be taken as such.
Hava-maker Monsoon slapped with first GPL lawsuit
It looks like the open source community is about to head into some uncharted waters, with the first GPL-related lawsuit in the US now headed to court. At the center of this particular brouhaha is Hava-maker Monsoon Multimedia, who is being sued by the Software Freedom Law Center for alleged violations of the GNU General Public License (GPL). In particular, the SFLC says that Monsoon licensed the BusyBox software for embedded applications from its clients, yet failed to provide the underlying source code to its products in return, which is required under the GPLv2. Adding a bit more interest to the case, as Linux-Watch points out, is the fact that Monsoon is headed by a "highly experienced" lawyer named Graham Radstone, who apparently previously held the top legal spot at an unnamed "$1 billion private multinational company." For its part, the SFLC is seeking an injunction against Monsoon, and is asking for damages and litigation costs to be awarded to the plaintiffs. [Via Slashdot]
