[Bug 1867424] Re: motd-news transmitting private hardware data without consent or knowledge in background

[Guy Baconniere]

This ticket should be updated to Security issue +250 points

I highly doubt that this Motd News "feature" is compliant with EU's
General Data Protection Regulation since daily reporting of computer's
infos are proceeded without the user's consent. Cf. GDPR application
comments [https://gdpr.eu/eu-gdpr-personal-data/], in particular with
respect to Recital 30 [https://gdpr.eu/recital-30-online-identifiers-
for-profiling-and-identification/]

Internet protocol (IP) addresses; information that is related to an
individual’s tools, applications, or devices, like their computer.

Daily report of computer's private infos without the users consent


It affects Ubuntu Servers and Desktop (including roaming computers like laptops)
since at least 18.04 LTS and also the current 20.04 LTS

Sensible data sent
- IP address of the computer running Ubuntu
- Date of the HTTPS query
- Kernel Version
- CPU Vendor and Model
- Uptime
- Cloud identifier
- Version of Curl so version of Ubuntu running ...

$curl_ver $lsb $platform $cpu $uptime $cloud_id

Sample from our PC Engines running Ubuntu 18.04 LTS:
```
curl/7.58.0-2ubuntu3.8 GNU/Linux/4.15.0-101-generic/x86_64 AMD/GX-412TC/SOC uptime/692518.54/2755023.47 cloud_id/unknown
```

https://motd.ubuntu.com/ 
```
 * MicroK8s gets a native Windows installer and command-line integration.

     https://ubuntu.com/blog/microk8s-installers-windows-and-macos
```

The perfect opportunity to map all Ubuntu Linux users worldwide on a
daily basis?

https://gdpr.eu/eu-gdpr-personal-data/
https://gdpr.eu/checklist/

See also
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1105825/why-lubuntu-18-04-calls-amazon-servers-motd-ubuntu-com

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1867424

Title:
  motd-news transmitting private hardware data without consent or
  knowledge in background

Status in base-files package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  In package base-files there is a script /etc/update-motd.d/50-motd-
  news that harvests private hardware data from the machine and
  transmits it in the background every day.  There is no notice, no
  consent, no nothing.  This should be by default disabled until there
  is informed consent.

  This solution is simple:

  1. Change ENABLED=1 to ENABLED=0 in the file /etc/default/motd-news and 
  2. Place a comment in the file disclosing the fact that the 50-motd-news script will harvest private hardware data and upload it to motd.ubuntu.com daily if the end-user enables it.

  Creating databases that maps ip address to specify hardware is a
  threat to both privacy and security.  If an adversary knows the
  specific hardware and the ip address for that hardware their ability
  to successfully attack it is greatly increased.

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