NSA has total access via Microsoft Windows
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 999
Likes: 133
From: NYC
NSA has total access via Microsoft Windows
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013...ance-questions
WASHINGTON – The National Security Agency has backdoor access to all Windows software since the release of Windows 95, according to informed sources, a development that follows the insistence by the agency and federal law enforcement for backdoor “keys” to any encryption, according to Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin.
Having such “keys” is essential for the export of any encryption under U.S. export control laws.
The NSA plays a prominent role in deliberations over whether such products can be exported. It routinely turns down any requests above a megabyte level that exceeds NSA’s technical capacity to decrypt it. That’s been the standard for years for NSA, as well as the departments of Defense, Commerce and State.
Computer security specialists say the Windows software driver used for security and encryption functions contains unusual features the give NSA the backdoor access.
The security specialists have identified the driver as ADVAPI.DLL. It enables and controls a variety of security functions. The specialists say that in Windows, it is located at C:\\Windows\system.
Specialist Nicko van Someren says the driver contains two different keys. One was used by Microsoft to control cryptographic functions in Windows while another initially remained a mystery.
Then, two weeks ago, a U.S. security firm concluded that the second key belonged to NSA. Analysis of the driver revealed that one was labeled KEY while the other was labeled NSAKEY, according to sources. The NSA key apparently had been built into the software by Microsoft, which Microsoft sources don’t deny.
This has allowed restricted access to Microsoft’s source code software that enables such programming.
Access to Windows source code is supposed to be highly compartmentalized, actually making such actions easier because many of the people working on the software wouldn’t see the access.
Such access to the encryption system of Windows can allow NSA to compromise a person’s entire operating system. The NSA keys are said to be contained inside all versions of Windows from Windows 95 OSR2 onwards.
Having a secret key inside the Windows operating system makes it “tremendously easier for the NSA to load unauthorized security services on all copies of Microsoft Windows, and once these security services are loaded, they can effectively compromise your entire operating system,” according to Andrew Fernandez, chief scientist with Cryptonym Corporation of North Carolina.
Keep in touch with the most important breaking news stories about critical developments around the globe with Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin, the premium, online intelligence news source edited and published by the founder of WND.
Having such “keys” is essential for the export of any encryption under U.S. export control laws.
The NSA plays a prominent role in deliberations over whether such products can be exported. It routinely turns down any requests above a megabyte level that exceeds NSA’s technical capacity to decrypt it. That’s been the standard for years for NSA, as well as the departments of Defense, Commerce and State.
Computer security specialists say the Windows software driver used for security and encryption functions contains unusual features the give NSA the backdoor access.
The security specialists have identified the driver as ADVAPI.DLL. It enables and controls a variety of security functions. The specialists say that in Windows, it is located at C:\\Windows\system.
Specialist Nicko van Someren says the driver contains two different keys. One was used by Microsoft to control cryptographic functions in Windows while another initially remained a mystery.
Then, two weeks ago, a U.S. security firm concluded that the second key belonged to NSA. Analysis of the driver revealed that one was labeled KEY while the other was labeled NSAKEY, according to sources. The NSA key apparently had been built into the software by Microsoft, which Microsoft sources don’t deny.
This has allowed restricted access to Microsoft’s source code software that enables such programming.
Access to Windows source code is supposed to be highly compartmentalized, actually making such actions easier because many of the people working on the software wouldn’t see the access.
Such access to the encryption system of Windows can allow NSA to compromise a person’s entire operating system. The NSA keys are said to be contained inside all versions of Windows from Windows 95 OSR2 onwards.
Having a secret key inside the Windows operating system makes it “tremendously easier for the NSA to load unauthorized security services on all copies of Microsoft Windows, and once these security services are loaded, they can effectively compromise your entire operating system,” according to Andrew Fernandez, chief scientist with Cryptonym Corporation of North Carolina.
Keep in touch with the most important breaking news stories about critical developments around the globe with Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin, the premium, online intelligence news source edited and published by the founder of WND.
Sanest Florida Man
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 46,083
Likes: 11,834
From: Florida
Oh goddammit! You can tell this was written by someone completely computer illiterate.
"C:\\Windows\system" ?
First even sarlacc knows that there's not two backslashes in a file path. 2nd that file isn't even in the system folder, it's in system32.
And 2nd your link doesn't go to the article you posted which is here
http://www.wnd.com/2013/06/nsa-has-t...osoft-windows/
on crackpot extreme right wing website WND
Why are you pretending it's from the guardian?
"C:\\Windows\system" ?
First even sarlacc knows that there's not two backslashes in a file path. 2nd that file isn't even in the system folder, it's in system32.
And 2nd your link doesn't go to the article you posted which is here
http://www.wnd.com/2013/06/nsa-has-t...osoft-windows/
on crackpot extreme right wing website WND
Why are you pretending it's from the guardian?
Sanest Florida Man
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 46,083
Likes: 11,834
From: Florida
Yeah well it's bullshit. my dad emailed me this link a few days ago cause he's reads shit like this, so here's what I said to him
Originally Posted by #1 STUNNA
Does MS knowingly grant the NSA backdoor access into their software, definitely not. Does the NSA, CIA, Mi-6, KGB, China, etc. all have their own secret ways of getting into Windows, OS X, Linux, almost definitely.
Remember the Stuxnet virus that the US/Israelis put into Iranian Nuclear facilities? That used 19 undisclosed security vulnerability in Windows to take over. Every gov’t probably has their own secret list of vulnerabilities that they choose not to disclose to Apple and Microsoft so if they need to they can get in. If they already had MS approved backdoor access to Windows they wouldn't had to have used 19 other ways to get in.
There’s no need for MS to grant them access and if they did then the hackers would find it and use them too. Over time good hackers will stumble across the same holes and report them to MS and they will patch them, so I’m sure it’s an ongoing process to keep up with patched holes and find new undisclosed ones.
Can you imagine the public backlash if they did that and the public found out Microsoft was knowingly sabotaging their own products to appease a US gov’t agency? They'd lose an enormous amount of business in the enterprise sector and with other governments and their public image and trust would be ruined. They'd get sued in the EU, South Korea, China, Australia, etc. it would be the worst business decision they could make and all to help an agency that doesn't need help finding exploits.
Every year there's the “pwn to own” contest where a security research team must find a new previously unknown zero-day exploit to gain full control of windows, os x, etc. Every year some one finds one in about six weeks of work for a fully patched up to date windows 7 PC running ie9 with aslr, protected mode, dep, sehop, /gs and a bunch of other mitigation technology acronyms you've never heard of.
The same thing could be done in a matter of hours or days on an xp machine so no reason for ms to risk everything to help them.
No computer is secure from a targeted attack, if the hackers know about your network and what os and software you're running there's nothing you can do to stop them, they'll get in, Linux, Mac, windows it doesn't matter, they're all just as vulnerable to a specially targeted attack.
Remember the Stuxnet virus that the US/Israelis put into Iranian Nuclear facilities? That used 19 undisclosed security vulnerability in Windows to take over. Every gov’t probably has their own secret list of vulnerabilities that they choose not to disclose to Apple and Microsoft so if they need to they can get in. If they already had MS approved backdoor access to Windows they wouldn't had to have used 19 other ways to get in.
There’s no need for MS to grant them access and if they did then the hackers would find it and use them too. Over time good hackers will stumble across the same holes and report them to MS and they will patch them, so I’m sure it’s an ongoing process to keep up with patched holes and find new undisclosed ones.
Can you imagine the public backlash if they did that and the public found out Microsoft was knowingly sabotaging their own products to appease a US gov’t agency? They'd lose an enormous amount of business in the enterprise sector and with other governments and their public image and trust would be ruined. They'd get sued in the EU, South Korea, China, Australia, etc. it would be the worst business decision they could make and all to help an agency that doesn't need help finding exploits.
Every year there's the “pwn to own” contest where a security research team must find a new previously unknown zero-day exploit to gain full control of windows, os x, etc. Every year some one finds one in about six weeks of work for a fully patched up to date windows 7 PC running ie9 with aslr, protected mode, dep, sehop, /gs and a bunch of other mitigation technology acronyms you've never heard of.
The same thing could be done in a matter of hours or days on an xp machine so no reason for ms to risk everything to help them.
No computer is secure from a targeted attack, if the hackers know about your network and what os and software you're running there's nothing you can do to stop them, they'll get in, Linux, Mac, windows it doesn't matter, they're all just as vulnerable to a specially targeted attack.
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Registered but harmless
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 14,889
Likes: 1,164
From: Los Angeles, CA
Well, it's annoying and discomfiting to have it confirmed. 
Maybe even better to mail ricin-laced letters?
Dear NSA: Please note the icons-- I'm joking!!!!
Maybe even better to mail ricin-laced letters?
Dear NSA: Please note the icons-- I'm joking!!!!
Sanest Florida Man
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 46,083
Likes: 11,834
From: Florida
This article doesn't back any of it's claims up, I hope you guys don't actually believe this shit. If true it would've been spotted by now after 18 years. You can't hide this, it will be in the code. Even if they encrypted it in 1995 now a days that encryption would be a joke and easy to break through find the evidence and recreate the backdoor into Windows.
No one's done it because it doesn't exist.
No one's done it because it doesn't exist.
Senior Moderator
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 45,641
Likes: 2,335
From: Better Neighborhood, Arizona
This article doesn't back any of it's claims up, I hope you guys don't actually believe this shit. If true it would've been spotted by now after 18 years. You can't hide this, it will be in the code. Even if they encrypted it in 1995 now a days that encryption would be a joke and easy to break through find the evidence and recreate the backdoor into Windows.
No one's done it because it doesn't exist.
No one's done it because it doesn't exist.
Windows exploits of course are useful for real-time penetration..
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,845
Likes: 145
I have suspicions someone got carried away in their analysis.
ADVAPI32 does handle login functions , but there's no way to get a variable name out of compiled code. It's possible that they got over-excited by functions like LsaLoginUser, which is close to NSA, but LSA stands for Local Security Authority, in other words, not remote access.
ADVAPI32 does handle login functions , but there's no way to get a variable name out of compiled code. It's possible that they got over-excited by functions like LsaLoginUser, which is close to NSA, but LSA stands for Local Security Authority, in other words, not remote access.
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