kdetect — Catching a Linux Rootkit in a Contradiction

A rootkit hides by lying to whoever asks, so asking /proc twice gets you the same lie twice. kdetect asks through channels a rootkit has to subvert separately and treats their disagreement as the finding. This is how it works, how I validated it against a real rootkit, and the false positives that nearly shipped.

September 7, 2026 · 13 min · Angus Dawson