| Many system crackers use the compiler on systems that they compromise to compile additional tools. These tools are used both to escalate privilege on the compromised system and to attack other systems.
Disabling the gcc compiler on your system can provide a roadblock, slowing the attacker down and prevent some attacks entirely.
If this machine is a dedicated server or firewall and thus does not have users who need to compile programs, this action is strongly recommended. This action fits best practice on dedicated servers. Otherwise, please carefully consider whether you will be inconveniencing your users by disabling the compiler. If you do chose to disable it, we'll do so by only allowing root access to the compiler. |