Windows 2000 and Windows NT Source Code Leaks

Yikes

If this is real...this is very serious stuff.

ahahahaha ... well done m$ :wink:

GOOD!

Maybe a group of good programmers could go through and fix most of the programming errors in windows (programming practice wise), and make a nice little Linux link up so you don't have to use samba anymore . . . why is everyone so whiney about this? people already know how to break Windows , its not that hard. Just a toss of the programming brick.

Yes, but Crono, now people don't even need to try. Security holes that were previously hidden could make themselves known quite easily to people who want to find them, and I'm sure there's a quite a lot of people who want to find and exploit them.

Ok, this is very important if you are even considering going into programming.

Do not even look at the source code for whatever reason! If you do, you run the risk of Microsoft coming down on you or your project team like a ton of bricks for copyright breach/patent violation/whatever if any of your source is similar to theirs. If you have looked at the source, you could be considered 'tainted' by OSS dev teams for the simple reason that your code may be influenced by your seeing MS code. Stay away! Stay very, very far away!

On a positive note, I have managed to finally convince a bunch of my GNU/Linux-skeptic friends that free is in fact better. On the downside, this means that our school network (which I help administrate, and is running XP Pro) is looking dangerously open.

This source leak will not make Windows a better operating system. We already have one; it's called GNU/Linux. OSS developers aren't going to touch the thing with a ten-AU pole for fear of IP lawsuits. What we're going to see are crackers that aren't afraid of IP making new and more devastating worms, viruses, trojans, and worse. All your base are belong to them, basically.

I strongly recommend that all of you running NT-based Windows operating systems (this includes all of the XP systems) to move to Linux. Red Hat is a very stable and easy to use distribution; I like Slackware. And yes, SnarkPit works fine in Mozilla :smile:

Oh fsck, going to work on Monday is going to be terrible...

Whats the link to the code?!

Does no one understand what I was saying??

Tainted by MS code? HA, as if I would let their garbage practices seep into my normal techniques, come on. That's why I said to look at it, TO FIX IT. I don't give care if Microsoft has some bulls**t IP law saying you can't copy it or whatever, they'd go after the people who're damaging other users first.

Now, here's the funny thing. Why aren't you afraid to use Linux? EVERYONE has the source code and can make a virus. Yes, they could if they wanted. It's just not the majorly used OS, so they don't, because it would be a pain in the ass. I'm not saying Linux isn't secure, or stable, God knows I know what the ups and downs are. But none of you can honestly go "hmm, better not look at Microsoft code cause I'll get sued", No, you wont. Not unless you start selling it like a moron. Secondly, who said you woudlnt even continue to use MS support? If anything, you'd be able to find out how DirectX is integrated into the OS and find a way to intelgrate that into Linux as well. So what if people start to expliote NT security holes? Windows has always been vulnerable, and people HAVE always exploted its seciruty holes.

Also, if you're so blind by MS politics that you set up an IIS server, and pay Microsoft to have your network run, you deserve to have your computer hacked down.
This isn't going to effect it in the way you guys are thinking.

"oh no, the source code, oh no!!"

Do you have any idea how sloppy MS code it?? fixing it and cleaning it up would be easier then going through it and exploiting every little security leak there is, and most of them the public already knew about.
I mean, guys, give me a break, don't be shakin' in your socks over this. You've been attacked before, you may not even know it. Granted people will be able to make more efficient viruses and such, but . . . honestly, who gives a s**t?
Microsoft has an army of poor programmers to back up their patching so . . . woopdie f**kin' do.
I just don't think you know how bad Windows code really is lol.

So wait wait wait wait wait here.... In one paragraph, you trash Linux... In the next, you trash Microsoft... What the hell do you want us to take away from your oh-so-enlightened post here?

Des probably has a damn good point- Microsoft has considerable weight in the capital realm, and have shown time and time again that they are more than willing to throw that weight around to stop people from doing things that they don't like. If you take the sourcecode and they find out about it, I'm quite sure you'll be proper-f**ked.

Plus, so what if you DO fix up their crappy code? Then what? You think you'll just compile yourself up a nice little compact windows-esque OS? I highly doubt it.

Tries insane optimistic attitude

According to an article on the BBC site, the source code is Windows 2000 and NT4, so I think XP should be OK. Only trouble is that XP is NT based, so I'm not sure about it, but XP may just be OK.

I didn't trash Linux.
I said that people already have access to its source code and could write viruses is they really really wanted to. But they obviously don't because the majority of people use Windows.

Yes, Linux can be hacked :O
No one EVER said Linux is bullet proof, but it is secure IF you know how to set it up properly. The only difference in Windows is that, it couldn't be as secure no matter what, simply because it was written poorly.

I mean seriously, Linux/Unix getting hacked happens all the time, think about all the times you've heard of some guy changing a public, popular, website to complete pornography? I guarentee you those servers weren't exactly running on Windows.

And what's with the smartass attitude? My elightened post? What the f**k, man? It's my opinion as is everyone elses their opinion. And no I wouldn't keep it to my self I would give it to all my friends too. Something you seem to not understand are the changes that would happen if it were re-written, Microsoft wouldn't be able to tell its Windows, short of me going up to them and saying it is.

Stop for a moment and get the bunch out of your panties, because this isn't anything to whine over. Wait until the viruses start coming out.
And just as a small note, and other programmers on this site I'm sure will understand this note, NO SYSTEM IS UNHACKABLE! It doesn't matter what your ideology difference is in choosing Windows over Linux or Linus over Windows or any other operating system. Because if people REALLY wanted to f**k your system up, they wouldn't attack the OS, they'd attack the hardware, how about a nice little virus that sits in your temporary files until the next time your browser is booted, where it is then activated and burrows it's way down to your bios, where it lovingly overclocks your hardware and slows down your fan speed. People can do stuff like this. They actually teach courses in college on how to write viruses, not so you can perfect them, but so you can avoid them, most viruses aren't exactly planned.

Also, don't attack me just because you don't agree with what I had to say.

[EDIT]
Stop trying to bring in the legistics of Microsoft interveening, it's not likely. Seriously, think about it. Who would you go after if you have a mega corperation, and yeah they usually only go after one person, if you had a choice between some guy who altered your code for his personal use, or another guy who is writting depramental viruses and software and distributing them to the out side world?? You'd be a moron to go after the guy who altered your OS.

Sorry, if my post seems, hostile, it isn't. It's just that there are a great deal of things you guys are ignoring in this information and about Microsoft in general.
[/EDIT]

wow, this topic went downhill pretty damn quickly. :sad: