List of software & Hardware that is known to have backdoors

I was wanting to get a list started of software, and hardware that are known to have backdoors. So if you know of any then could you please list them in this thread. If the backdoor has legit purposes then you can also list them since they have the potential for abuse. If there is an ongoing debate on a particular software or hardware possibly having a backdoor you can list them as well, but make it very clear that at this time it is only speculation. Keep the thread fact based. I would like to thank anyone in advance that contributes to this thread. Thanks You!

 

Well theres the possible backdoor in OpenBSD from the FBI.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20025767-281.html
I guess not really confirmed or debunked at this time though.

 

Hushmail
PGP

Still under debate,but highly widespread info.

 

@ Cutting_Edgetech

Nice idea for a thread

Here's a few more to be going on with.

Windows = Apart from anything else, the infamous NSA key - http://cryptome.org/nsakey-ms-dc.htm

Routers = Supplied by ISP's, maybe others too - https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=277194

TOR - "Supposedly" backdoored by german government according to reports from a few years ago, but google shows no results for it now ?

 

Please go back and re-edit the post to be more specific as to what you are implying?

From the way I am reading into this, you mean Rogue Developers posing as legitimate software putting in backdoors?

After all anyone can get a hold of software and put a possible back door in, and finding those answers, well, a lot more difficult, that's like asking who are all the hackers out there and who really knows.

So sticking more to known Rogue problems, seems to be a more realistic focus...

 

I know about Hushmail, but PGP!?

Can you provide a link, please?

 

http://securology.blogspot.com/2007/10/pgp-whole-disk-encryption-barely.html

http://www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/week/100397pgp.html

 

"Real" software backdoors apparently are few and far between. I wouldn't count PGP and hushmail to them in the classical sense. The rest mentioned so far is only speculation, conspiracy theory or worse.
Here's one that fits the definition:
http://lwn.net/Articles/418478/
an detected attemp:
http://kerneltrap.org/node/1584
and the most famous paper on backdoors in history:
http://cm.bell-labs.com/who/ken/trust.html
a good blog post on hardware backdoors:
http://blog.ksplice.com/2010/10/hosting-backdoors-in-hardware/
CPU backdoors:
http://theinvisiblethings.blogspot.com/2009/06/more-thoughts-on-cpu-backdoors.html

In a wider sense the good old hardware keyloggers and wiretraps could be counted.

 

Would it be considered a back door when an antivirus whitelists a commercial keylogger?

 

If they hide that fact, I guess so. It's not a classical backdoor (hidden remote access left after the initial break-in as a way back) but comes pretty close and there's no other category that would fit better.

 

Use GnuPG instead.

 

@tlu: That "backdoor" is in the PGP _disk encryption_. Alternatives are Truecrypt, cryptsetup, DiskCryptor...

 

Ah, thanks. I was inattentive. AFAIR there had been also rumors about an NSA backdoor in PGP some years ago, though.

 

Their is not a backdoor in PGP period!

You should actually read the links you shared, because neither has info or proof their is a backdoor in PGP!

http://securology.blogspot.com/2007/10/pgp-whole-disk-encryption-barely.html

How is this a backdoor?

 

I bet Skype has a back door now.

 

Skype was down the other day. I know that they and others have been requested to add a back door. I would be surprised if they have not. Skype is U.K., right?

But I wonder. If a person was using portable skype, not installed, ran it only after firing up a VPN, opened it up and ran it sandboxed with Sandboxie, then deleted the Sandbox, what could be done with that back door? just curious.

 

Only hypothetically of course...
Skype records all calls and connection data, forwards that to LEA, they go after your contacts who likely didn't use the same precautions and "kindly" ask where you are living...
You get a nice visit from the SWAT team

But really if there is a backdoor it's not geolocation but in the crypto. Even if all contacts connect over multiple VPNs or heavier anonymity (because for LEA with one VPN your identity is just one subpoena away) there's much to be learned from eavesdropping on the connection, including identity and whereabouts.

 

I remember reading a while back that at some tech conference an NSA representative told the attendees that NSA is offering "billions" to any corporation or entity that can give them access to Skype communications. This would make sense -- all they have to do is buy their way into Skype. Since Skype is owned by E-bay, the NSA can just strong arm Ebay into putting in a backdoor (and with an offer of a lot of money).

Edit: here's the article.

 

If Skype is in the U.K. aren't they obligated to do something like this by default?

 

I don't think so, because Skype is based in Luxembourg, they only have an office in UK.

This cryptographer spent 4 months on his security review of Skype
http://download.skype.com/share/security/2005-031 security evaluation.pdf

 

Thanks for that.

 

I would like to nominate Windows 7 and later as a backdoored OS

Windows 7 and later give Microsoft the ability to remotely and silently add certificate authorities to your OS. This means undetectable Man-In-The-Middle attacks across every website and every service.

The real issue here is trusting Certificate Authorities, which are how SSL certs and https and other items are validated as "legit" or fake.

Further, I can confirm that this is the case and that governments, especially the US, are doing this. How do I know? Simple: intelligence product vendors are now offering DPI/MITM devices that work seamlessly at 40 Gbps speeds (internet backbone), and all you have to do is insert your strongarmed SSL certificate and it does the rest. There is no other legitimate reason for such a device to exist.

Now you may ask yourself, are these "trustworthy" Certificate Authorities, which are built into your OS, really complicit participants? Well, when I visited China, we saw valid but fake SSL certificates for Apple issued by the most trusted ssl certificate vendor on the planet.

For more information on Microsoft's backdoor, and the pitfalls of SSL and trust, please read Certified Lies: Detecting and Defeating Government Interception Attacks Against SSL.

 

@ SteveTX

Thanks for the info & PDF link Long read, but i will do it

Glad i'm on XP with NO updates

 

Yes, i still have several machines with XP Pro, and I don't plan on ditching XP ever unless they quit issuing security patches for it.

 

Very nice literature to add my my collection on privacy, and anonymity. I'm reading though it now. Thanks for the post!