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.

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.

Source

 

[Ev1l0rd]

I hope this helps with Wine's development. Still a few programs that I wanna run that it can't run yet.

Are they dotnet programs? For dotnet you can always try mono ( http://www.mono-project.com/download/#download-lin ). If all else fails just boot a VM running Windows 7/8.

 

[migles]

Ask almost anyone in the world to open a terminal window and you have already lost them. Bonus point if you're talking about user rights, repositories and config files.

Sure, it's trivial for all of us on this forum, but you can't expect everybody to have this level of thinking. That's why internet explorer still have 25% of the current web browser market share.

am more about the time that it consumes... and lazyness...

there are plenty of times i am trying to do something quickly, which i need a software that i never used before..
in windows there are plenty of simple software which for some reason need to go trough an installer instead being just a portable exe i can run...
for example, when i was at my friend's house, and i wanted to check the hash of a file.. i wanted to do it quickly, searched on google but the first results where stuff that got installers. ho well, just did go through the process download->install-> go into start menu looking for installed shortcuts->run it... and then i have to unninstall it so my friend who is not tech savy ask me what is that program and if i can remove it because he doesn't like it...
(this was before i known a portable solution, but this happened with other applications about simple stuff like a mp3 converter or so)
well, in linux in most cases have to type word by word in terminal when i am just trying to do something quickly and am too busy to rememeber stuff...

 

[BlastedGuy9905]

View attachment 91228​

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.



EDIT: response from a Beta Archive admin



Source

Time to make WinUx, guys!

 

[Pacheko17]

Perfect opportunity for you dudes to install the penguin

 

[Taleweaver]

Personally i think its not gud,, Windows after all is a gud os. If someone wants open source os ,there are plenty of them.
But because Windows is closed-source and has got gud security ,big companies are giving us games. Also its used in hospitals/schools.

This is just wrong on so many levels...

Windows was foremost the first. Before DOS (and later: windows) came along, companies were pretty much forced to stay local. Microsoft provided a global need for uniformity. They were also the first with excel, which they neatly combined in an office packet that would push word (and probably access as well) as the de facto standard. They also developed fast and marketed their product well. This was good in the sense of distribution and getting it known, but because of that lacked security.
Granted: windows now is a whole lot more stable, secure and less patchwork than those days. And yes, it's a good (gud) operating system. However, this was not at all because it was open or closed source. Heck...there are plenty of authoritive people around who claim (IMHO correctly) that had windows been open source from the start, it would've been a whole lot more secure right now.

Because microsoft pushed their operating systems so well (up to the point where it's pretty damn hard to find a non-apple PC without the operating system), everyone had it. That's the main reason companies produce games for it. Backed up by decent API's and directx that allowed them quick development of games. It being closed source or "being secure" (which isn't even true when compared to most other OS'es) never was any concern for any game company.

You know what else is being used in schools (mostly universities) and hospitals? Linux. Its open source model and free distribution (meaning: higher flexibility and less administrative hassle) allowed it to grow into security so well that microsoft is still playing second fiddle on most server levels.

 

[DinohScene]

Whoops, I have those things in me posession.

 

[Ev1l0rd]

Time to make WinUx, guys!

Hahaha. No. We can't, since it's not legal. The code still belongs to Microsoft.

 

[Pomegrenade]

this is pretty kewl

 

[Gamer4647]

So they made an article now on stuff from 3 months ago that wasn't even a major leak? Oh boy. News sites for you.

 

[BlastedGuy9905]

Hahaha. No. We can't, since it's not legal. The code still belongs to Microsoft.

You know that like 99% of the Windows users use a pirated copy, right?

 

[ihaveahax]

You know that like 99% of the Windows users use a pirated copy, right?

this is not related to using leaked source in projects.

 

[Saiyan Lusitano]

On the bright side, Windows is now open source but now this also opens a door that puts users' information in danger.

 

[Ev1l0rd]

You know that like 99% of the Windows users use a pirated copy, right?

I am indeed aware of that fact, but that is a different matter entirely.

• A pirated copy is just plain illegal. Microsoft sells enough copies that they usually won't go after you for using it, but you're still a relatively small part of their installbase. The only time I heard of M$ going after pirated copies was due to some dumb fuck installing a 1000 copies on the same day which triggered some alarmbells.
  
• Including leaked code in your project means you are using proprietary code, which is owned by Microsoft, and they could absolutely sue you for that.

On the bright side, Windows is now open source but now this also opens a door that puts users' information in danger.

It's not 'Open Source'. Open Source means you and I could freely modify it and use it as we wish. We cannot use this leak for ANYTHING as the code is still proprietary and Microsoft would sue your ass if you did.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

Since nobody seems to want to actually read the update in the OP, I changed the title so it's not as clickbaity and, hopefully, people will actually read the OP before getting all "WINDOES R D00MED!!!!!"

 

[Ev1l0rd]

Since nobody seems to want to actually read the update in the OP, I changed the title so it's not as clickbaity and, hopefully, people will actually read the OP before getting all "WINDOES R D00MED!!!!!"

Sssh.... we gotta drive people to use Linux.

 

[BlastedGuy9905]

I am indeed aware of that fact, but that is a different matter entirely.

• A pirated copy is just plain illegal. Microsoft sells enough copies that they usually won't go after you for using it, but you're still a relatively small part of their installbase. The only time I heard of M$ going after pirated copies was due to some dumb fuck installing a 1000 copies on the same day which triggered some alarmbells.
  
• Including leaked code in your project means you are using proprietary code, which is owned by Microsoft, and they could absolutely sue you for that.

It's not 'Open Source'. Open Source means you and I could freely modify it and use it as we wish. We cannot use this leak for ANYTHING as the code is still proprietary and Microsoft would sue your ass if you did.

What if everyone compiled WinUx for themselves and didn't post it on a website? Microshit would have no idea what you're doing.

 

[Ev1l0rd]

What if everyone compiled WinUx for themselves and didn't post it on a website? Microshit would have no idea what you're doing.

MS won't, but they can still take it down. To do such a thing you need to get the source code, which needs to be distributed somewhere, which means someone is getting their ass sued for hosting and distributing proprietary code.

 

[hobbledehoy899]

Linux having the lack of apps

Guess mobile computing is the future.

Total noob.

 

[BlueFox gui]

heh i saw that yesterday

 

[hobbledehoy899]

Open Source means you and I could freely modify it and use it as we wish.

Being open source does not inherently mean that a project is free (as in freedom.)