Windows NT and 2000 source code stolen

[Yawgm0th]

From the Associated Press

Seattle -- Microsoft Corp. said late yesterday that portions of its Windows source code... had been leaked over the Internet. Microsoft spokesman Tom Pilla said in an interview that some incomplete portions of the Windows 2000 and Windows NT4.0 source code had been "illegally made available on the Internet." Accees to the source code could allow hackers to exploit the operating system and attack the machines running Windows. Several versions of the operating system, including the ones containing leaked code, are used on hundreds of millions of computers worldwide....

On the one hand, this creates serious security issues for anyone running NT, OS2, 2000, XP, Longhorn or Server 2003. At the same time, we might see more Windows clones out there, particularly an XP clone, which would provide an alternative to spending hundreds of dollards on operating systems.

[minibubba]

Nice to see that Microsoft has finally gone opensource ;)

neowin broke this story yesterday, and it's on the front page of TT:

Neowin has learned of shocking and potentially devastating news. It would appear that two packages are circulating on the internet, one being the source code to Windows 2000, and the other being the source code to Windows NT. At this time, it is hard to establish whether or not full code has leaked, and this will undoubtedly remain the situation until an attempt is made to compile them. Microsoft are currently unavailable for comment surrounding this leak so we have no official response from them at the time of writing.

This leak is a shock not only to Neowin, but to the wider IT industry. The ramifications of this leak are far reaching and devastating. This reporter does not wish to be sensationalist, but the number of industries and critical systems that are based around these technologies that could be damaged by new exploits found in this source code is something that doesn't bare thinking about.

We ask that for the wider benefit of the IT community that members and readers support Microsoft by forwarding anything they know about the leak to the Microsoft's Anti-Piracy department.

like it says, it's not known if it's the full code or not, but i seriously doubt it. While i don't agree with the theft, perhaps now people will see why M$ want to keep it's source code such a closely garded secret.

[Yawgm0th]

neowin broke this story yesterday, and it's on the front page of TT

Can't find it. Was it there yesterday or something? I'm on vacation in Hawaii and just read this in the local newspaper. I wasn't sure if it was out yesterday or not.

Anyway, are you worried about this at all? The way they write code over at MS, there could be a lot flaws that could be exploited from this.

[minibubba]

it's still at the top of the 'news' section of TT and the top of neowin as well. There are also a couple blips about it at the Inquirer as well. New about it is all over the 'net by now for that matter

I'm not worried about it yet, I'll wait and see specififcly what code was stolen/leaked before i get concerned. It wouldn't surprise me if this turns out to be a blessing rather than a curse. :2cents:

which would provide an alternative to spending hundreds of dollards on operating systems.

there are already cheap alternatives, and the source code for them have been alvailable from the begining ;)

[Yawgm0th]

Should have phrased that better. Maybe an 'other than Linux, Free BSD, etc.' would have done it. The only big problem is that you simply can't play your Windows games on Linux. Most won't work right with WINE, which can be difficult to setup anyway. On top of that, Linux and the like tend to be much harder to use. But there's no question that free, open-source operating systems (and other software) are out there and can be an alternative to Windows. Anyway, it would be pretty nice if this ends up being to our advantage rather than posing a threat. Of course I don't agree with the means used, but Microsoft kind of had it coming anyway.

[Dyck15]

Apparently there is actually "profanity" in the comments of the source code. Kind of funny. I wonder how many say "Down with M$".

On another note, do you all know what WINE stands for? Wine Is Not an Emulator... recursion anyone?

[Yawgm0th]

I did know that. I had looked into using WINE a while back but decided it wasn't worth the time and effort. WINE isn't an emulator. An emulator, in this sense, is usually some sort of virtual computer, be it a Quadra series Apple or a SNES. WINE, as far as I can tell, simply reads code intended for Windows (probably a bit more but I don't even use it...). If WINE worked 100% with no bugs, in theory there would be no need for Windows; Linux would hold both Win32 and UNIX as its platforms. But WINE doesn't work exceedingly well, and I don't know of any good Windows emulators. But the source code that was released could help the WINE project and those interested in making Windows clones.

Profanity in the source code doesn't suprise me. The MS programmers probably have poor working conditions and bad pays considering what they do. On top of that, the immense size of Windows would suggest that there are lots of comments in it.
If you use a shell other than Explorer you'll notice it's several MBs larger than the replacement. Tons of MS programmers swearing at each other.:laugh:

[asklepios]

just going a bit off topic but have you tried WineX?
it is Wine specially made for playing games on Linux.

http://www.transgaming.com/

[Yawgm0th]

I created an account, but as far as I can tell I need to pay to download it. From what I have been reading though, it looks like it works well. Warcraft III and Starcraft look like they'll work. But as I expected, some of the most popular first-person shooters don't work at all (eg Unreal, CS1.6, America's Army). The real question is, do the games have reduced performance? Although Linux certainly runs much faster than Windows, having to go through WINE (and possibly bad video drivers) would certainly slow things down.

But still, very interesting. Can I get WineX without paying?

[asklepios]

But still, very interesting. Can I get WineX without paying?

one answer "Yes"
the catch is that you'll have to get CVS and compile it from source. no pre-packaged files for free.

http://www.transgaming.com/sources.php

[theyneverknew]

. But as I expected, some of the most popular first-person shooters don't work at all (eg Unreal, CS1.6, America's Army).

Just so you know, America's Army has a native Linux client, as do most FPS based on the Quake 3 engine, so there's no reason to run it through WINE :thumb:

[Yawgm0th]

Thanks for the help. I might actually end up trying it.:thumb:

[minibubba]

ut2k3 also comes with linux support out of the box afaik, although i have yet to actually try it

[minibubba]

back to the topic...
Windows Source Leak Traces Back to Mainsoft

BetaNews has learned that Thursday's leak of the Windows 2000 source code originated not from Microsoft, but from long-time Redmond partner Mainsoft.

The leaked code includes 30,915 files and was apparently removed from a Linux computer used by Mainsoft for development purposes. Dated July 25, 2000, the source code represents Windows 2000 Service Pack 1.

Analysis indicates files within the leaked archive are only a subset of the Windows source code, which was licensed to Mainsoft for use in the company's MainWin product. MainWin utilizes the source to create native Unix versions of Windows applications.

Mainsoft says it has incorporated millions of lines of untouched Windows code into MainWin.

Clues to the source code's origin lie in a "core dump" file, which is left by the Linux operating system to record the memory a program is using when it crashes. Further investigation by BetaNews revealed the machine was likely used by Mainsoft's Director of Technology, Eyal Alaluf.

References to MainWin can also be found throughout the leaked source files, which do not compile into a usable form of Windows.

Prior to Microsoft's Shared Source Initiative launched in 2001, Mainsoft, which calls itself "the software porting company," was one of only two partners with access to the Windows source code under Microsoft's Windows Interface Source Environment (WISE) program.

The goal of WISE is to enable developers to write applications using Windows APIs and deploy them on Unix operating systems such as Linux.

Mainsoft extended its WISE agreement with Microsoft in March 2000 to include access to the Windows 2000 source. Microsoft subsequently employed Mainsoft to port Windows Media Player 6.3 and Internet Explorer to Unix.

Although the leak poses a serious threat to Microsoft's intellectual property, its limited scope is sure to help the company alleviate fears of potential disaster. Microsoft has opened an investigation with the FBI and says its internal security in Redmond was not affected.

Because Mainsoft used only select portions of the Windows source for MainWin, Microsoft may find itself more worried about the egg on its face than possible exposure of its flagship operating system; Windows 2000 served as the foundation for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

It is not clear at this point how the three and a half year-old source code escaped Mainsoft.

Eric Steil and David Worthington contributed to this report.

- eweek.com

[minibubba]

Mainsoft Responds

Statement to the Media Regarding Microsoft Source Code LeakFrom Mike Gullard, Chairman of the Board, Mainsoft Corporation