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

[Guy Baconniere]

The usage of motd-news as Advertising media for Canonical products is well documented.
Now we need to know if Canonical share the crafted User-Agent with sensible info in it with third party and use it for telemetry like Microsoft Windows 10.

Samples output of motd-news mirrored in both login prompt via motd and
syslog

- MicroK8s gets a native Windows installer and command-line integration.
  https://ubuntu.com/blog/microk8s-installers-windows-and-macos

- How HBO's Silicon Valley built "Not Hotdog" with mobile TensorFlow,
Keras & React Native on Ubuntu

- Overheard at KubeCon: "microk8s.status just blew my mind".
  https://microk8s.io/docs/commands#microk8s.status

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/base-files/+bug/1701068

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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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