Microsoft Becomes Opensource- Not by choice

[hard candy]

LinuxToday (http://linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2004-02-13-018-26-NW-MS-SW)
From our home page, older bits of Windows 2000 source code and WinNT source code are on the internet.
About 660MB of the 4GB original source is circulating.It's not much, but I guess a cracker could use it to design backdoor programs, worms, etc. Hopefully it will not become a big security issue in the future- but I imagine there are some nervous IT people glancing at their 2000 and NT servers.
A criminal act to be sure. Also an argument for the benefits of open source. Hopefully Microsoft will be able to take appropriate action to secure their releases.
Personally, I think SCO did it. :D
and does that mean Win2000 is a "disto" now? Should it be listed in "My favorite distro"? :D

[thaddaeus]

The funny part about this is even if a "good" hacker gets a hold of this, they can't use it without ms bustin them hardcore, that source is still not open its just freed but still bound by the nth amendment "No one can use any src code from MS because they keep our economy.." it gets blurred from there...

Bu if someone can make a new linux-windows os thats not open-src then no one should know especially if it is made illegal to decompile the code. how screwed up the world would be then

[lugoteehalt]

A criminal act to be sure.
Would it be illegal to post a link to the post?:confused:

[sharth]

It would be quite illegal for you to post a link to the source code.. (well, I dunno how illegal because of the whole linking issue and not hosting, but it would break the tos of this site, and most likely gain you a ban... since I doubt internet.com wants to deal with the legal stuff dealing with it).

So basically, feel free to link to innumerable articles talking about the code, but not the code itself.

[Icarus]

Why is it that when a closed source program has it's code leaked, the very first thing anyone says is something on the line of "now nothing will stop the cheaters/hackers/crackers/virus writters now they can see the code and find the exploits"

Calm down people, the code is 3 years old...
For one, if there are any exploits someone can find looking at the code...the software was total crap to begin with. Not even Microsoft is THAT stupid

Second, you just can't write a part of the code and compile it into the whole...you need the whole to compile, parts usually rely on other parts

Slashdot had a nice long thread on this story yesterday (1500 posts in 3 hours), but I could not make it far past the first 20 because they were all
"haha, anyone have a link?"
"As a programmer even looking at the source will get me in trouble"
"owned!"
"Now the exploits will be even more exploited"
"Can't wait to see the new batch of worms from this!"
"blah blah blah"

Here's the link if you have a few hours to kill (http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/02/12/2114228&mode=nested&tid=109&tid=187)
I wouldn't be suprised if there was a link to it in there somewhere...

[lugoteehalt]

Why is it that when a closed source program has it's code leaked, the very first thing anyone says is something on the line of "now nothing will stop the cheaters/hackers/crackers/virus writters now they can see the code and find the exploits"
Because that makes it seem like it's an attack on us - the public. Instead of helping us.

[aNoob]

Dunno why the big fuss about it. Windows code is out by ages now!!!


/* Source Code to Windows 2000 */

#include "win31.h"
#include "win95.h"
#include "win98.h"
#include "workst~1.h"
#include "evenmore.h"
#include "oldstuff.h"
#include "billrulz.h"
#include "monopoly.h"
#define INSTALL = HARD

char make_prog_look_big[1600000];
void main()
{
while(!CRASHED)
{
display_copyright_message();
display_bill_rules_message();
do_nothing_loop();
if (first_time_installation)
{
make_50_megabyte_swapfile();
do_nothing_loop();
totally_screw_up_HPFS_file_system();
search_and_destroy_the_rest_of_OS/2();
make_futile_attempt_to_damage_Linux();
disable_Netscape();
disable_RealPlayer();
disable_Lotus_Products();
hang_system();
}

write_something(anything);
display_copyright_message();
do_nothing_loop();
do_some_stuff();

if (still_not_crashed)
{
display_copyright_message();
do_nothing_loop();
basically_run_windows_3.1();
do_nothing_loop();
do_nothing_loop();
}
}

if (detect_cache())
disable_cache();

if (fast_cpu())
{
set_wait_states(lots);
set_mouse(speed, very_slow);
set_mouse(action, jumpy);
set_mouse(reaction, sometimes);
}

/* printf("Welcome to Windows 3.1"); */
/* printf("Welcome to Windows 3.11"); */
/* printf("Welcome to Windows 95"); */
/* printf("Welcome to Windows NT 3.0"); */
/* printf("Welcome to Windows 98"); */
/* printf("Welcome to Windows NT 4.0"); */
printf("Welcome to Windows 2000");

if (system_ok())
crash(to_dos_prompt)
else
system_memory = open("a:\swp0001.swp", O_CREATE);

while(something)
{
sleep(5);
get_user_input();
sleep(5);
act_on_user_input();
sleep(5);
}
create_general_protection_fault();
}

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by aNoob
Dunno why the big fuss about it. Windows code is out by ages now!!!


/* Source Code to Windows 2000 */


Not that again. Wasn't that posted here just a few days ago?

[aNoob]

Originally posted by mdwatts
Not that again. Wasn't that posted here just a few days ago?

Exactly what I'm saying!