Secret NSA Partnership with Microsoft: Provides US Government Total Access to Windows Computers

conservativerefocus.com ^ | 23 June 2013 | F. MICHAEL MALOOF

[big'ol_freeper]

WASHINGTON – The National Security Agency has backdoor access to all Windows software since the release of Windows 95, according to informed sources, a development which follows the insistence by the agency and federal law enforcement for backdoor “keys” to any encryption, according to a report in Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin.

Having such “keys” is essential for the export of any encryption allowed under U.S. export control laws to foreign users.

The NSA plays a prominent role in deliberations over whether such products can be exported, and routinely turns down any requests above a certain megabyte level that exceeds NSA’s technical capacity to decrypt it. That’s been the standard for years for NSA, as well as the departments of Defense, Commerce and State.

Computer security specialists say that the Windows software driver used for security and encryption functions contains unusual features which give NSA that backdoor access.

These security specialists have identified the driver as ADVAPI.DLL. It enables and controls a variety of security functions. These specialists say that on Windows, it is located at C:\\Windows\system directory of anyone’s computer that uses Windows software.

Nicko van Someren says the driver contains two different keys. One was used by Microsoft to control cryptographic functions in Windows while another initially remained a mystery.

Then, two weeks ago, a U.S. security firm concluded that the second key belonged to NSA. Analysis of the driver revealed that one was labeled KEY while the other was labeled NSAKEY, according to sources. The NSA key apparently had been built into the software by Microsoft, which Microsoft sources don’t deny.

This has allowed restricted access to Microsoft’s source code software that allows for such programming.

Access to Windows source code is supposed to be highly compartmentalized, actually making such actions easier because many of the people working on the software wouldn’t see the access.

Such access to the encryption system of Windows can allow NSA to compromise a person’s entire operating system. The NSA keys are said to be contained inside all versions of Windows from Windows 95 OSR2 onwards.

Having such the secret key inside your Windows operating system makes it “tremendously easier for the NSA to load unauthorized security services on all copies of Microsoft Windows, and once these security services are loaded, they can effectively compromise your entire operating system,” according to Andrew Fernandez, chief scientist with Cryptonym Corporation of North Carolina.

[Diogenesis]

I used to like the NSA until they ignored the Boston terrorists.

How many more of the Islamic beheadings, rapes, and murders,
and wildfires by Islamic terrorists, did the NSA
have prior knowledge of AND THEN IGNORED IT
... or ERASED IT??

[FroggyTheGremlim]

Don’t use Windows. Never used any version of that crapware.

[proxy_user]

And Linux?

[ConservativeMan55]

My first thought.. Sharyl Atkinnsons computer..

[Buckeye McFrog]

all the lids are starting to blow-off now

[Abathar]

If they were let into Windows you just know Apple made room for them with open arms also.

[Red Steel]

Do ‘puter search for “ADVAPI.DLL”

[Zathras]

I remember back in the 90’s when the discussion came up on encryption and backdoor keys.
The talk was that encryption was getting so good that the gov. needed backdoor access.
Funny how the timing on this kind of matches the lawsuits against Microsoft back in the ‘90s.
hmmmm...

[Cvengr]

Analysis of the driver revealed that one was labeled KEY while the other was labeled NSAKEY

The most sophisticated cryptologists in the world have cleverly labeled their XML backdoor key as 'NSAKEY'. Subtle,...very subtle.....

We should all explain our vocabulary very carefully, to lessen the risk of semantic heterogeneity in our posts.

[GOP Poet]

bookmark

[UCANSEE2]

We assure you. All these 752 coincidences are just a coincidence.

[conserv8]

Ever wonder what happened to the activity lights on the network icon on systems after XP?

[Errant]

What we need here Class, is Action...

[bigbob]

Disney has a backdoor into my PC too, I just found a file called “mouse.dll”

[bigbob]

a bit of history of the AVDAPI.dll “threat” from the golden-oldie pre-Y2K year 1999:

http://cryptome.org/jya/msnsa.htm

[Rio]

From 1999 LINK

Careless mistake reveals subversion of Windows by NSA.

A CARELESS mistake by Microsoft programmers has revealed that special access codes prepared by the US National Security Agency have been secretly built into Windows. The NSA access system is built into every version of the Windows operating system now in use, except early releases of Windows 95 (and its predecessors). The discovery comes close on the heels of the revelations earlier this year that another US software giant, Lotus, had built an NSA "help information" trapdoor into its Notes system, and that security functions on other software systems had been deliberately crippled.

• 
• 

The first discovery of the new NSA access system was made two years ago by British researcher Dr Nicko van Someren. But it was only a few weeks ago when a second researcher rediscovered the access system. With it, he found the evidence linking it to NSA.

Computer security specialists have been aware for two years that unusual features are contained inside a standard Windows software "driver" used for security and encryption functions. The driver, called ADVAPI.DLL, enables and controls a range of security functions. If you use Windows, you will find it in the C:\Windows\system directory of your computer.

ADVAPI.DLL works closely with Microsoft Internet Explorer, but will only run cryptographic functions that the US governments allows Microsoft to export. That information is bad enough news, from a European point of view. Now, it turns out that ADVAPI will run special programmes inserted and controlled by NSA. As yet, no-one knows what these programmes are, or what they do.

More info at the link.

[McGruff]

I’ve got a nslookup.exe in my System32 folder. Should I be concerned?

:)

[mware]

Acording to the time line I saw, they did not have access to Apple until Oct 2012.

Steve Jobs died on Oct 05, 2012.

[ShadowAce]