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Is It Safe to Download Fedora Right Now?

August 7, 2026 4 answers
Asked by MellowCedar42
I'm completely new to Linux and wanted to check something before installing Fedora. I heard that Fedora's source files may have been compromised and I'm not sure what incident people were referring to. Is it currently safe to download a Fedora ISO from an official or otherwise trusted source, and how can I verify that the file hasn't been tampered with?
checksums cybersecurity Fedora GPG signatures ISO verification Linux System Operations

Answers

BrightMango88
For extra assurance, compare the downloaded ISO with Fedora’s published checksum. You can also verify the checksum file’s GPG signature, which confirms that the checksum itself came from Fedora and wasn’t altered.
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NovaHarbor7
The backdoor was found by an engineer before it could make it into the stable Fedora releases, so downloading the current official ISO is considered safe.
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QuietLantern5
The incident people are usually referring to was an older backdoor issue and isn’t considered a problem with current Fedora releases.
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KindleOrbit3
You should be fine. Download Fedora from its official website or a trusted mirror, then verify the ISO before installing it.
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