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UPDATE: 32TB of Windows source code and betas have NOT been leaked

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It seems a huge amount of Windows software has been leaked, from an internal source. 32 terabytes of data, including, but not limited to beta copies of Windows 10, developer software, and potentially the most important of them all-- source code. UK news site, The Register, were the ones to initially break the story, claiming that these confidential testing builds and other data came from a source inside Microsoft, back in March 2017. The files were then uploaded on June 19, to Beta Archive, though they were removed shortly after. With the "shared source code kit" being available to the public, this means that users may be able to better customize Windows to their liking, but it also comes with the fact that this leaves users' security vulnerable and compromised, if one manages to use the source code to create a dangerous virus or exploit. The source below contains more intricate details on the matter.

The leaked code is Microsoft's Shared Source Kit: according to people who have seen its contents, it includes the source to the base Windows 10 hardware drivers plus Redmond's PnP code, its USB and Wi-Fi stacks, its storage drivers, and ARM-specific OneCore kernel code.

Anyone who has this information can scour it for security vulnerabilities, which could be exploited to hack Windows systems worldwide. The code runs at the heart of the operating system, at some of its most trusted levels.

This software includes, for example, prerelease Windows 10 "Redstone" builds and unreleased 64-bit ARM flavors of Windows. There are, we think, too many versions now dumped online for Microsoft to revoke via its Secure Boot mechanism, meaning the tech giant can't use its firmware security mechanisms to prevent people booting the prerelease operating systems.
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EDIT: response from a Beta Archive admin

First of all let us clear up a few facts. The “Shared Source Kit” folder did exist on the FTP until this article came to light. We have removed it from our FTP and listings pending further review just in case we missed something in our initial release. We currently have no plans to restore it until a full review of its contents is carried out and it is deemed acceptable under our rules.

The folder itself was 1.2GB in size, contained 12 releases each being 100MB. This is far from the claimed “32TB” as stated in The Register’s article, and cannot possibly cover “core source code” as it would be simply too small, not to mention it is against our rules to store such data.

At this time all we can deduct is that The Register refers to the large Windows 10 release we had on March 24th which included a lot of Windows releases provided to us, sourced from various forum members, Windows Insider members, and Microsoft Connect members. All of these we deemed safe for release to BetaArchive as they are all beta releases and defunct builds superseded by newer ones, and they were covered under our rules.

If any of this should change we will remove these builds from the FTP and we will happily comply with any instructions to do so by Microsoft.
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:arrow: Source
 
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TankedThomas

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The only interesting part would be if actual source code was released so that someone could make a not-shit version of Windows 10. Then again, some of the betas were better than the God-awful final product, but since Microsoft is basically a dictatorship these days, you have to keep Windows 10 up-to-date or suffer. Their words, not mine. Okay, maybe a little of mine.
 
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jimmyleen

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GhostLatte said:
You need to tell me the type of drugs you've been smoking lately.
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Most servers and home routers use Linux or some form of Unix and you mean to tell me that makes them secure?

EDIT: I know you didn't mention servers and routers but that is what Linux and Unix is mostly used for.
 
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Ev1l0rd

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jimmyleen said:
Most servers and home routers use Linux or some form of Unix and you mean to tell me that makes them secure?
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Actually, by default servers and routers are quite secure. It's when you start messing with permissions (unfortunately needed to serve anything but HTML files) that security holes start to open.
 
Tizm

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Ev1l0rd said:
Windows 7 is the master OS when it comes to Windows. 8 was meh, 10 really jumped the gun.

Of course that is damning with faint praise, as Linux and macOS beat Windows in every aspect.
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i don't really mind windows 10, anyway i had ubuntu but i couldn't get league of legends to run on wine staging so i was all like screw it, that and i wanted to play gtav
 
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NutymcNuty said:
i don't really mind windows 10, anyway i had ubuntu but i couldn't get league of legends to run on wine staging so i was all like screw it, that and i wanted to play gtav
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I stopped using Linux after many years of trying to get drivers for my laptops and peripherals.
 
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32 terabytes... ftp.... betaarchive... Being an uploader, haven't saw 32 terabytes, or that would explode their harddisks xD. Now seriously, right now BetaArchive only accepts MS's released source code, and that's better in that way. And I wonder who could do this "mega data breach". (troll) Only Anonymous could (troll)
 

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