File picture illustration of the word 'password' pictured through a magnifying glass on a computer screen, taken in Berlin May 21, 2013. Security experts warn there is little Internet users can do to protect themselves from the recently uncovered "He
File picture illustration of the word 'password' pictured through a magnifying glass on a computer screen, taken in Berlin May 21, 2013. Reuters/Pawel Kopczynski/Files

Another vulnerability bug was that exploits sensitive information stored on any machine running Linux, Unix and Apple MAC OS X was found. It is called the Bash bug and is considered a bigger threat than the 2014 Heartbleed bug.

Bash Bug - New Threat Before 2014 Ends

Cheetah Mobile, developer of the popular CM Security app, reported a bigger threat than Heartbleed bug called the Bash bug. It affects every known Unix-based operating system including Linux and Apple MAC OS X.

Bash bug can take over any Web server and enable hackers to manipulate, exploit and steal sensitive information on machines running Unix-based OS. Hackers can expose account passwords, credit card numbers, personal photos and videos, shopping histories and everything else that have been stored on Web sites controlled by the servers.

In addition to that, hackers can also use Bash bug to plant viruses on Web sites secretly once users have browsed on infected Web sites. Bash bug is currently rated 10 in terms of severity but is considered "low rated" due to its complexity of exploitation, meaning it is easy to use for malicious users and hackers that can cause significant amount of damage to unsuspecting victims.

How To Scan For Bash Bug

According to Security Street Rapid 7, Bash bug mostly affects Linux, BSD, Unix-based systems and MAC OS X. It has been identified as vulnerability CVE-2014-6271 with nickname "Shellshock." Shellshock or Bash bug does not stop processing after its function definition, leaving it vulnerable to malicious functions containing trailing commands. Here are suggestions from Avast to know the machine's status and how to resolve it against Bash bug:

1. To find out if the Linux machine is infected, run this command: $ env x='() { :;}; echo vulnerable' bash -c "echo this is a test". If "this is a test" appears, the exploit has been run and users will need to use the update manager to get the latest fixes.

2. For MAC users, run this command: $ env x='() { :;}; echo vulnerable' bash -c 'echo hello'. Changing the default user shell can temporarily resolve the exploit, and it is recommended for IT administrators to start testing immediately. Additionally, the site recommends that non-IT administrators who don't know how to test the system should wait for an official update from Apple that will fix the exploit.

Meanwhile, Cheetah Mobile Security Research Lab has created a tool to determine Web sites that are safe from Bash bug. Try the tool here by simply typing the Web address to have it checked by the developer's security measures.