Windows 2000 & Windows NT 4 Source Code Leaks

[baghdad_steve15]

Windows 2000 & Windows NT 4 Source Code Leaks

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/02/12/2114228&mode=thread&tid=109&tid=187

Verbatim from slashdot:

PeterHammer writes "Neowin.net is reporting that Windows 2000 and Windows NT source code has been leaked to the internet. More on this as we hear it."

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http://www.neowin.net/comments.php?id=17509&category=main

the server is slashdotted.

[notbob]

they talk and talk about it, but nobody seems to have actually seen and/or tested/compiled the code

one MS employee said it was missing all or most of the necessary trees, others say it looks like a really good forgery

lots of paranoia and open/closed source arguments and tired jokes though

[baghdad_steve15]

C|Net: News.com.com report:
http://news.com.com/2100-7349_3-5158496.html?tag=nefd_lede

Microsoft is investigating the possibility that a file posted to several underground sites and chat rooms contains some protected source code to Windows 2000.


The 203MB file contains the code that appears to be from Microsoft's enterprise operating system, but the code is not complete, said Dragos Ruiu, a security consultant and the organizer of the CanSecWest security conference, who has examined the file listing.



"It was on the peer-to-peer networks and IRC (Internet relay chat) today," Ruiu said. "Everybody has got it; it's widespread now."





The 203MB file expands to just under 660MB, he said, noting that the final code size almost perfectly matches the capacity of a typical CD-ROM. The entire source code, he said, is believed to be about 40GB, meaning that the file circulating Thursday would be only a fraction of the full code base--if it is authentic.

Ruiu, who has seen the file, believes it to be authentic. "It looks real," he said. "You can't build Windows, however. It's just a bunch of chunks of the operating system."


Microsoft said it is looking into claims that file traders were swapping its proprietary source code.



"The rumor regarding the availability of Windows source code is based on the speculation of an individual who saw a small section of unidentified code and thought it looked like Windows code," Microsoft said in a statement provided to CNET News.com. "Microsoft is looking into this as a matter of due diligence."



Earlier Thursday, a source located a file purporting to be the code on a Web site, but the file was removed from the Internet before it could be completely downloaded.


The potential that the source code has been released has some security experts worried.


"It's definitely not a good thing if black hats have the source code," said Oliver Friedrichs, senior manager with antivirus company Symantec's security response center. If the source code has been released, "the underground can look at the code without legitimate security researchers being able to find vulnerabilities first."

But Microsoft downplayed any security issue.

In its statement the company said the main concern is the potential theft of its handiwork rather than the possible security threat that such a leak might pose.


"If a small section of Windows source code were to be available, it would be a matter of intellectual property rights rather than security," Microsoft said.


Microsoft zealously guards the source code to the various versions of its Windows operating system, sharing it only with universities and government agencies that sign agreements not to release the code. While working versions of Microsoft's operating system have occasionally leaked to the Internet, actual source code leaks have been rare.


Although Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has publicly bragged about the security of Windows, even Microsoft fears the release of its code. In testimony during the Microsoft antitrust trial, Jim Allchin, the company's senior vice president for Windows, said opening up the company's source code could be devastating for the operating system's security.


"The more (that) creators of viruses know about how antivirus mechanisms in Windows operating systems work, the easier it will be to create viruses or disable or destroy those mechanisms," Allchin testified during a May 2002 antitrust trial.


Allchin made the statements while defending the company against legal remedies supported by nine states that would have compelled Microsoft to give away the source code to Internet Explorer.


Allchin's fears are not misplaced, said Thor Larholm, senior security researcher with security consultancy PiVX Solutions.


"Just look at the amount of vulnerabilities that are discovered without the source code," he said. "The majority of Windows servers are still running Windows 2000. Furthermore, Windows 2000 has a lot of shared code that is still being used by Windows XP and Windows Server 2003."


However, other security experts believe that fears about a leak leading to the widespread discovery of vulnerabilities in the code are misplaced.


"Theoretically, to a good reverse engineer, all code is open source," said a Microsoft security consultant who asked not to be identified. He added that the size of the compressed file that was being passed around the Internet sounded about right.


In the end, however, the mistake that made Microsoft's code public might result in benefits similar to open-source code, Ruiu said.


"Short term, there might be problem (as bugs are found), but long term it might be good for them," he said. "Their code might become more secure."

[que-em]

Well why don't they release the whole thing so more competent people can examine it. It amazes me how a multi-billion dollar corporation has all these security issues when Linux with a fraction of the cash doesn't. The beautiful thing about P2P: No one source to shut down distribution.

[RJ5500]

I think it's just more rumors.

Bill Gates probably keeps the windows source code in a armored vault next to his bed.

Microsoft's chance of "leaking" their ultra-protected Windows source code is as about as likely as the Pentagon "leaking" government secrets.

[Sephiroth]

Well why don't they release the whole thing so more competent people can examine it. It amazes me how a multi-billion dollar corporation has all these security issues when Linux with a fraction of the cash doesn't. The beautiful thing about P2P: No one source to shut down distribution.

It shouldnt. When your OS is used by 80%+ of the computers in the world rather than linux less than 8% then it shouldnt be a surprize that more people want to find exploits for the os that has the most users.

That and linux isnt gear towards people who dont know alot about PCs and dont update and dont use good PC habits.

Also a reminder to everyone that links to the claimed source isnt allowed and will have to get removed.

[Vlet]

Many /.ers have started sifting through the source, and yes, it is indeed incomplete. Appearantly though, some major portions of the kernel are enclosed.

Bill Gates probably keeps the windows source code in a armored vault next to his bed.

It could have been any of these organizations:
http://research.microsoft.com/collaboration/university/sourcelicensees.aspx

[RJ5500]

Many /.ers have started sifting through the source, and yes, it is indeed incomplete. Appearantly though, some major portions of the kernel are enclosed.



It could have been any of these organizations:
http://research.microsoft.com/collaboration/university/sourcelicensees.aspx

Damn, I didn't know so many had it. Microsoft is just asking for trouble handing it out like that. In some countries without ethics about intellectual property (ie. Russia, China,...etc) it could get ugly.