[$] Random numbers and virtual-machine forks

One of the key characteristics of a random-number generator (RNG) is its
unpredictability; by definition, it should not be possible to know what the
next number
to be produced will be. System security depends on this unpredictability
at many levels. An attacker who knows an RNG's future output may be able
to eavesdrop on (or interfere with) network conversations, compromise
cryptographic keys, and more. So it is a bit disconcerting to know that
there is a common event that can cause RNG predictability: the forking or
duplication of a
virtual machine. Linux RNG maintainer Jason Donenfeld is working on a
solution to this problem.