SCI/TECH: Windows 2000 and Windows NT source code is leaked

Portions of Microsofts operating systems Windows 2000 and Windows NT have been leaked. Unknown hackers gathered access to more than 50.000 source code files.

Just after the news of big holes in Microsofts operating systems another bad news strikes the news. Portions or maybe the whole windows 2000 and NT source code have been leaked. For a few hours the code was downloadable from "linuxkiddie"(rumoured). The files are 239mb(NT) and 210mb(win2k).

A screenshot here created by somebody who was lucky to get his hand on this one. Please remind that this one aint from me, really it isnt:



Such a leak can lead the way for the hacker community to find even more devastating security flaws in Microsofts popular operating systems. It may sound fun on the one side but it should be noted that this sets more in danger as the usual home users. Networks such as military, governmental, healt-care, mission-critical, financial and scientific ones will be exposed to heavy damage done by either cyberterrorists or your son sitting in the next room.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Sources:

slashdot.org.../02/12/2114228

www.secureit.co.il...

news.bbc.co.uk...


[Edited on 13-2-2004 by Zion Mainframe]

Thats why we have firewalls

This isnt the 1st time a source for a Microsoft OS has been leaked is it?? If I recall 98' was also hacked and the source was released and soon after a few bugs came along.

Anyways, I use XP.

Originally posted by Dreamz
This isnt the 1st time a source for a Microsoft OS has been leaked is it?? If I recall 98' was also hacked and the source was released and soon after a few bugs came along.

Anyways, I use XP.

As do I...but technically speaking, XP is NT 5

Hey NS, next time you have bad news keep it to yourself.

Im not very "program" literate so I guess that cant be good news for me.

To summarize it what the maximum damage could be:

An evil man could write up a virus spreading fast, nearly undetected, using unknown security holes and hiding deep with the ultimate usuage of flaws in the shellcode, then deleting everything at a given date.

Don't think I am paniced, but the above theory isn't far off if everything is leaked. Though I still guess it is just portions and not the important ones. Hopefully.

Linux keeps looking more and more like an option

yet another reason to use Linux.. and their source code doesnt have to be hacked its available for everyone to see. As far as I know its still secure

Im running SuSE 9.0 but cant get online because I use AOL

So I run Windows XP for internet till i decide to get a new ISP

Okay i got off topic there, so ill shut up

[Edited on 12-2-2004 by Thatoneguy]

The firewalls will stop some of the problems this will cause, but not the viruses written to use previously unknown holes in the OS. I would estimate maybe a week before a new virus comes out that will make Blaster, Mydoom, and Slammer look like simple little batch files.

Originally posted by Dreamz
Hey NS, next time you have bad news keep it to yourself.

Im not very "program" literate so I guess that cant be good news for me.

Though the post above me is true (there are "holes") make sure your XP firewall is running and or have another firewall.


[Edited on 13-2-2004 by NetStorm]

I might be in luck then, I just finished building a new machine and used Linux instead of windows. never tried it before, just wanted to give it a go.

Originally posted by NetStorm

Originally posted by Dreamz
This isnt the 1st time a source for a Microsoft OS has been leaked is it?? If I recall 98' was also hacked and the source was released and soon after a few bugs came along.

Anyways, I use XP.

As do I...but technically speaking, XP is NT 5

Err... no.

Windows 2000 is "technically" NT 5.0. I was sitting in the middle of a LARGE beta course (~120 systems being set up and run) of NT 5.0 when the word came down (on the second day, as I recall) that the name had been officially changed to Windows 2000.

If you want to call XP anything along those lines, call it NT 6.0... though NT 5.5 or NT 5.1 might be more appropriate.

Just FYI.

XP reports as NT 5.1 and correct me if I�m wrong but uses the same kernel as win2k therefore potentially no MS user is safe..... part from maybe win9x users

great. so windows becomes even more of a risk to run.
good thing i use a mac, now all my 'top secret' character files are safe.
no, thats real dangerous, not to personal people, but as u said to social services and coporations. its askin for trouble when the whole brainwashed world uses the same unreliable OS.