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

 

[Gamer4647]

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)

You'd have to have a damn fast connection and really dumb security to manage to steal that much at once without ANY notice from Microsoft. Clearly some false BS.

 

[sp3off]

You'd have to have a damn fast connection and really dumb security to manage to steal that much at once without ANY notice from Microsoft. Clearly some false BS.

I know that it's clearly impossible for them to have that. Would have understood for 32 GIGAbytes but TERAbytes ? wheeew, smells like rotten info here.

 

[Ev1l0rd]

I know that it's clearly impossible for them to have that. Would have understood for 32 GIGAbytes but TERAbytes ? wheeew, smells like rotten info here.

It's only a few GBs of info that got leaked. Just your average media reaction to this kind of stuff, where they blow it up a bit to get nicer headlines.

 

[sp3off]

It's only a few GBs of info that got leaked. Just your average media reaction to this kind of stuff, where they blow it up a bit to get nicer headlines.

And they use it to make a scoop ^^