The official Slackware Linux website is hosted on Ubuntu

A few years ago I speculated in the article “Slackware Linux trivia, history, and things you didn’t know” that slackware.com was being hosted on Slackware Linux 12.0. My assumption was based on the host headers returned from the server. Those headers reveal that the webserver is Apache/2.2.22, coincidentally the last Apache patch ever released for Slackware 12.0. However, it turns out that I was very wrong.

OMG Ubuntu!

By taking advantage of an old Apache vulnerability with a custom payload, we can force the webserver to reveal its dark hidden truth. Slackware.com is not powered by an old EOL version of Slackware, it’s powered by an old EOL version of Ubuntu. That version is Ubuntu 12.04, released back in 2012.

Proof of concept

To demonstrate that I’m not simply taking a dig at Slackware’s “mature” software stack. I’ll offer proof in the shape of a screen recording. The recording should remove any doubt as to the accuracy of my claims. As they say, seeing is believing. Please make sure to hit the maximize icon on the video to enjoy it in full resolution.

Btw, I’m using Arch Linux ;-)