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www/server/staging/proprietary malware-microsof...
|
From: |
Therese Godefroy |
|
Subject: |
www/server/staging/proprietary malware-microsof... |
|
Date: |
Sun, 23 Sep 2018 17:05:07 -0400 (EDT) |
CVSROOT: /webcvs/www
Module name: www
Changes by: Therese Godefroy <th_g> 18/09/23 17:05:07
Modified files:
server/staging/proprietary: malware-microsoft.html
proprietary-back-doors.html
proprietary.html
Log message:
Regenerated from recfile.
CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/server/staging/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.3&r2=1.4
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/server/staging/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.2&r2=1.3
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/server/staging/proprietary/proprietary.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.1&r2=1.2
Patches:
Index: malware-microsoft.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/server/staging/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html,v
retrieving revision 1.3
retrieving revision 1.4
diff -u -b -r1.3 -r1.4
--- malware-microsoft.html 24 Jun 2015 09:42:15 -0000 1.3
+++ malware-microsoft.html 23 Sep 2018 21:05:07 -0000 1.4
@@ -1,136 +1,18 @@
-<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd";>
-<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"; xml:lang="en" lang="en"><head>
-<!-- start of server/head-include-1.html -->
-<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
-<link rev="made" href="mailto:address@hidden";>
-<link rel="icon" type="image/png"
href="https://gnu.org/graphics/gnu-head-mini.png";>
-<meta name="ICBM" content="42.355469,-71.058627">
-<meta name="DC.title" content="gnu.org">
-<!-- end of server/head-include-1.html -->
-
-<!-- end of server/header.html -->
-
-<!-- Parent-Version: 1.77 -->
-<title>Microsoft's Software Is Malware
-- GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
- <!-- begin translist file -->
-
-<link rel="alternate" type="text/html"
href="https://gnu.org/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html"; hreflang="x-default">
-<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" hreflang="en"
href="https://gnu.org/proprietary/malware-microsoft.en.html"; title="English"
lang="en">
-<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" hreflang="de"
href="https://gnu.org/proprietary/malware-microsoft.de.html"; title="Deutsch"
lang="de">
-<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" hreflang="es"
href="https://gnu.org/proprietary/malware-microsoft.es.html"; title="español"
lang="es">
-<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" hreflang="fr"
href="https://gnu.org/proprietary/malware-microsoft.fr.html"; title="français"
lang="fr">
-<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" hreflang="it"
href="https://gnu.org/proprietary/malware-microsoft.it.html"; title="italiano"
lang="it">
-<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" hreflang="ja"
href="https://gnu.org/proprietary/malware-microsoft.ja.html"; title="æ¥æ¬èª"
lang="ja">
-<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" hreflang="ru"
href="https://gnu.org/proprietary/malware-microsoft.ru.html";
title="ÑÑÑÑкий" lang="ru">
-<!-- end translist file -->
-
-<style type="text/css" media="print,screen">
+<!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" -->
+<!-- Parent-Version: 1.84 -->
<!--
-#content div.toc li { list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1em; }
-#content div.toc { margin-top: 1em; }
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ Generated from propr-blurbs.rec. Please do not edit this file manually !
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-->
-</style>
-<!-- start of server/banner.html -->
-<!-- start of head-include-2.html -->
-<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
-<link rel="stylesheet" href="/combo.css" media="screen">
-<link rel="stylesheet" href="/mini.css" media="handheld">
-<link rel="stylesheet" href="/layout.min.css" media="screen">
-<link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.min.css" media="print">
-<!-- end of head-include-2.html -->
-
-</head>
-<body>
-<div class="inner">
-<!-- start of server/body-include-1.html -->
-
-
-
-<div id="toplinks">
- <a href="#content">Skip to main text</a>
- <span class="gnun-split"></span>
- <a
href="https://gnu.org/server/select-language.html?callback=/philosophy/malware-microsoft.html";
rel="nofollow">
- Set language
- <span class="gnun-split"></span>
- </a>
-</div> <!-- /toplinks -->
-
-<div id="searcher">
- <form method="get" action="//www.gnu.org/cgi-bin/estseek.cgi">
- <div>
- <input name="phrase" id="phrase" size="18" accesskey="s" value="Why
GNU/Linux?" onfocus="this.value=''" type="text">
- <input value="Search" type="submit">
- </div>
- </form>
-</div><!-- /searcher -->
-
-<div id="translations">
-<p>
-<span dir="ltr" class="original"><a hreflang="en"
href="https://gnu.org/proprietary/malware-microsoft.en.html";
lang="en">English</a> [en]</span>
-<span dir="ltr"><a hreflang="de"
href="https://gnu.org/proprietary/malware-microsoft.de.html";
lang="de">Deutsch</a> [de]</span>
-<span dir="ltr"><a hreflang="es"
href="https://gnu.org/proprietary/malware-microsoft.es.html";
lang="es">español</a> [es]</span>
-<span dir="ltr"><a hreflang="fr"
href="https://gnu.org/proprietary/malware-microsoft.fr.html";
lang="fr">français</a> [fr]</span>
-<span dir="ltr"><a hreflang="it"
href="https://gnu.org/proprietary/malware-microsoft.it.html";
lang="it">italiano</a> [it]</span>
-<span dir="ltr"><a hreflang="ja"
href="https://gnu.org/proprietary/malware-microsoft.ja.html";
lang="ja">æ¥æ¬èª</a> [ja]</span>
-<span dir="ltr"><a hreflang="ru"
href="https://gnu.org/proprietary/malware-microsoft.ru.html";
lang="ru">ÑÑÑÑкий</a> [ru]</span>
-</p>
-</div>
-
-<!-- end of server/body-include-1.html -->
-
-<!-- start of server/body-include-2 -->
-
-<div id="header">
-<div id="fsf-frame">
-<p id="join-fsf"><a
href="https://www.fsf.org/associate/support_freedom?referrer=4052";>JOIN THE FSF</a></p>
-<div id="fssbox">
-<p><a href="http://www.fsf.org/fss";>Free Software Supporter</a></p>
-<form action="https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/profile/create?reset=1&gid=31";
method="post">
- <div>
- <input name="postURL" value="" type="hidden">
- <input name="group[25]" value="1" type="hidden">
- <input name="cancelURL"
value="https://crm.fsf.org/civicrm/profile?reset=1&gid=31"; type="hidden">
- <input name="_qf_default" value="Edit:cancel" type="hidden">
- </div>
- <p>
- <input id="frmEmail" name="email-Primary" size="18" maxlength="80"
value="email address" onfocus="this.value=''" type="text">
- <input name="_qf_Edit_next" value="Sign up" type="submit">
- </p>
-</form>
-</div><!-- /fssbox -->
-</div><!-- /fsf-frame -->
-
-<div id="gnu-banner">
- <a href="https://gnu.org/";>
- <img src="/heckert_gnu.png" alt=" [A GNU head] "><strong>GNU</strong>
Operating System</a>
-</div><!-- /gnu-banner -->
-
-<p id="fsf-support">Sponsored by the <a href="#mission-statement">Free
Software Foundation</a></p>
-
-</div><!-- /header -->
-
-<div id="navigation">
-
- <ul>
- <li id="tabAboutGNU"><a
href="https://gnu.org/gnu/gnu.html";>About GNU</a></li>
- <li id="tabPhilosophy"><a
href="https://gnu.org/philosophy/philosophy.html";>Philosophy</a></li>
- <li id="tabLicenses"><a
href="https://gnu.org/licenses/licenses.html";>Licenses</a></li>
- <li id="tabEducation"><a
href="https://gnu.org/education/education.html";>Education</a></li>
- <li id="tabSoftware"><a
href="https://gnu.org/software/software.html";>Software</a></li>
- <li id="tabDoc"><a href="https://gnu.org/doc/doc.html";>Documentation</a></li>
- <li id="tabHelp"><a
href="https://gnu.org/help/help.html";>Help GNU</a></li>
- </ul>
-
-</div><!-- /navigation -->
-<!-- end of server/body-include-2 -->
-
-<div id="content">
-<!-- end of server/banner.html -->
+<title>Microsoft's Software Is Malware
+- GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
+ <!--#include virtual="/proprietary/po/malware-microsoft.translist" -->
+<!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->
<h2>Microsoft's Software is Malware</h2>
-<p><a href="https://gnu.org/philosophy/proprietary.html";>Other examples of
proprietary
+<p><a href="/proprietary/proprietary.html">Other examples of proprietary
malware</a></p>
<div class="highlight-para">
@@ -142,183 +24,524 @@
<p>
Malware and nonfree software are two different issues. The difference
-between <a href="https://gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html";>free software</a> and
+between <a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">free software</a> and
nonfree software is in
-<a href="https://gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html";>
+<a href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html">
whether the users have control of the program or vice versa</a>. It's
not directly a question of what the program <em>does</em> when it
runs. However, in practice nonfree software is often malware,
because the developer's awareness that the users would be powerless to fix
any malicious functionalities tempts the developer to impose some.
</p>
+
+<p>If you know of an example that ought to be in this page but isn't
+here, please write
+to <a href="mailto:address@hidden";><address@hidden></a>
+to inform us. Please include the URL of a trustworthy reference or two
+to present the specifics.</p>
</div>
-<div class="toc">
-<div class="malfunctions">
+<div class="summary" style="margin-top: 2em">
+<h3>Type of malware</h3>
<ul>
-<li><strong>Type of malware</strong></li>
-<li><a href="#microsoft-back-doors">Back doors</a></li>
-<!--<li><a href="#microsoft-censorship">Censorship</a></li>-->
-<!--<li><a href="#microsoft-insecurity">Insecurity</a></li>-->
-<li><a href="#microsoft-sabotage">Sabotage</a></li>
-<li><a href="#microsoft-surveillance">Surveillance</a></li>
-<li><a href="#microsoft-drm">Digital restrictions
- management</a> or “DRM” means functionalities designed
+ <li><a href="#back-doors">Back doors</a></li>
+<!--<li><a href="#censorship">Censorship</a></li>-->
+ <li><a href="#drm">Digital restrictions
+ management</a> or “DRM”—functionalities designed
to restrict what users can do with the data in their computers.</li>
-<li><a href="#microsoft-jails">Jails</a>—systems
+ <li><a href="#insecurity">Insecurity</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#interference">Interference</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#jails">Jails</a>—systems
that impose censorship on application programs.</li>
-<li><a href="#microsoft-tyrants">Tyrants</a>—systems
+ <li><a href="#sabotage">Sabotage</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#subscriptions">Subscriptions</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#surveillance">Surveillance</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#tyrants">Tyrants</a>—systems
that reject any operating system not “authorized” by the
manufacturer.</li>
</ul>
</div>
-</div>
-<h3 id="microsoft-back-doors">Microsoft Back Doors</h3>
+<h3 id="back-doors">Microsoft Back Doors</h3>
+
<ul>
- <li><p>Microsoft Windows has a universal back door through which <a
href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201806263";>
+ <li id="M201512280">
+ <p><a
+
href="https://theintercept.com/2015/12/28/recently-bought-a-windows-computer-microsoft-probably-has-your-encryption-key/";>
+ Microsoft has backdoored its disk encryption</a>.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201507170">
+ <p>Microsoft Windows has a universal back door through which <a
+
href="http://www.informationweek.com/microsoft-updates-windows-without-user-permission-apologizes/d/d-id/1059183";>
any change whatsoever can be imposed on the users</a>.</p>
- <p>More information on when <a
href="http://slated.org/windows_by_stealth_the_updates_you_dont_want";>
- this was used</a>.</p>
+ <p>This was <a
+
href="http://slated.org/windows_by_stealth_the_updates_you_dont_want";>reported
+ in 2007</a> for XP and Vista, and it seems
+ that Microsoft used the same method to push the <a
+ href="/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html#windows10-forcing">Windows
+ 10 downgrade</a> to computers running Windows 7 and 8.</p>
+
+ <p>In Windows 10, the universal back door
+ is no longer hidden; all “upgrades” will be <a
+
href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/07/windows-10-updates-to-be-automatic-and-mandatory-for-home-users/";>forcibly
+ and immediately imposed</a>.</p>
+ </li>
- <p>In Windows 10, the universal back door is no longer hidden; all
âupgradesâ will be
- <a
href="http://www.appy-geek.com/Web/ArticleWeb.aspx?regionid=1&articleid=42633691&source=googleplus";>forcibly
and immediately imposed</a>.</p></li>
+ <li id="M201308230">
+ <p>The German government <a
+
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160310201616/http://drleonardcoldwell.com/2013/08/23/leaked-german-government-warns-key-entities-not-to-use-windows-8-linked-to-nsa/";>veers
+ away from Windows 8 computers with TPM 2.0</a>, due to potential back
+ door capabilities of the TPM 2.0 chip.</p>
+ </li>
- <li><p><a
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2500036/desktop-apps/microsoft--we-can-remotely-delete-windows-8-apps.html";>
+ <li id="M201112080">
+ <p><a
+
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2500036/desktop-apps/microsoft--we-can-remotely-delete-windows-8-apps.html";>
Windows 8 also has a back door for remotely deleting apps</a>.</p>
<p>You might well decide to let a security service that you trust
remotely <em>deactivate</em> programs that it considers malicious.
But there is no excuse for <em>deleting</em> the programs, and you
- should have the right to decide who (if anyone) to trust in this
way.</p></li>
+ should have the right to decide whom (if anyone) to trust in this
+ way.</p>
+ </li>
+</ul>
- <li><p>Windows 8's back doors are so gaping that <a
href="http://drleonardcoldwell.com/2013/08/23/leaked-german-government-warns-key-entities-not-to-use-windows-8-linked-to-nsa/";>
- the German government has decided it can't be trusted</a>.</p></li>
+
+<h3 id="drm">Microsoft DRM</h3>
+
+<ul>
+ <li id="M200708131">
+ <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/2007/08/aacs-tentacles/";>DRM
+ in Windows</a>, introduced to cater to <a href="#bluray">Bluray</a>
+ disks. (The article talks about how the same malware would later be
+ introduced in MacOS. That had not been done at the time, but it was
+ done subsequently.)</p>
+ </li>
</ul>
-<h3 id="microsoft-sabotage">Microsoft Sabotage</h3>
+
+<h3 id="insecurity">Microsoft Insecurity</h3>
+
+<p>These bugs are/were not intentional, so unlike the rest of the file
+ they do not count as malware. We mention them to refute the
+ supposition that prestigious proprietary software doesn't have grave
+ bugs.</p>
+
<ul>
- <li><p><a
href="http://blogs.computerworlduk.com/open-enterprise/2013/06/how-can-any-company-ever-trust-microsoft-again/index.htm";>
- Microsoft informs the NSA of bugs in Windows before fixing them.</a></p></li>
+ <li id="M201705120">
+ <p>Exploits of bugs in Windows, which were developed by the NSA
+ and then leaked by the Shadowbrokers group, are now being used to <a
+
href="https://theintercept.com/2017/05/12/the-nsas-lost-digital-weapon-is-helping-hijack-computers-around-the-world/";>attack
+ a great number of Windows computers with ransomware</a>.</p>
+ </li>
- <li><p><a
href="http://blogs.computerworlduk.com/open-enterprise/2014/04/windows-xp-end-of-an-era-end-of-an-error/index.htm";>
- Microsoft cut off security fixes for Windows XP, except to some big users
- that pay exorbitantly.</a></p>
-
- <p>Microsoft is going to
- <a
href="http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/security/3605515/more-than-half-of-all-ie-users-face-patch-axe-in-10-months/";>
- cut off support for some Internet Explorer versions</a> in the same way.</p>
-
- <p>I think a person or company has the right to cease to work on a
- particular program; the wrong here is Microsoft does this after having
- made the users dependent on Microsoft, so they are not free to ask
- someone else to work on the program for them.</p></li>
+ <li id="M201608020">
+ <p>A <a
+
href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-attack-can-steal-your-username-password-and-other-logins/";>flaw
+ in Internet Explorer and Edge</a> allows an attacker to retrieve
+ Microsoft account credentials, if the user is tricked into visiting
+ a malicious link.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201312040">
+ <p><a
+
href="http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/12/credit-card-fraud-comes-of-age-with-first-known-point-of-sale-botnet/";>
+ Point-of-sale terminals running Windows were taken over and turned
+ into a botnet for the purpose of collecting customers' credit card
+ numbers</a>.</p>
+ </li>
</ul>
-<h3 id="microsoft-surveillance">Microsoft Surveillance</h3>
+
+<h3 id="interference">Microsoft Interference</h3>
+
+<p>Various proprietary programs often mess up the user's system. They are like
sabotage, but they are not grave enough to qualify
+for the word “sabotage”. Nonetheless, they are nasty and wrong.
This section describes examples of Microsoft committing
+interference.</p>
+
<ul>
- <li><p>
- Microsoft uses Windows 10's "privacy policy" to overtly impose a
- "right" to look at users' files at any time. Windows 10 full disk
- encryption <a
href="https://edri.org/microsofts-new-small-print-how-your-personal-data-abused/";>
- gives Microsoft a key</a>.</p>
+ <li id="M201809120">
+ <p>One version of Windows 10 <a
+
href="https://www.ghacks.net/2018/09/12/microsoft-intercepting-firefox-chrome-installation-on-windows-10/";>
+ harangues users if they try to install Firefox (or Chrome)</a>.</p>
+ </li>
- <p>Thus, Windows is overt malware in regard to surveillance,
- as in other issues.</p>
+ <li id="M201803190">
+ <p>Microsoft is planning to make Windows <a
+
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/19/windows-10-microsoft-force-people-edge-browser-windows-mail-chrome-firefox";>
+ impose use of its browser, Edge, in certain circumstances</a>.</p>
- <p>We can suppose Microsoft look at users' files for the US government on
- demand, though the "privacy policy" does not explicit say so. Will it
- look at users' files for the Chinese government on demand?</p></li>
+ <p>The reason Microsoft can force things on users is that Windows
+ is nonfree.</p>
+ </li>
- <li><p><a
href="http://www.techworm.net/2014/10/microsofts-windows-10-permission-watch-every-move.html";>
- Windows 10 requires users to give permission for total snooping</a>,
- including their files, their commands, their text input, and their
- voice input.</p></li>
+ <li id="M201703170">
+ <p>Windows displays <a
+
href="http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/17/14956540/microsoft-windows-10-ads-taskbar-file-explorer";>
+ intrusive ads for Microsoft products and its partners'
+ products</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>The article's author starts from the premise that Microsoft has
+ a right to control what Windows does to users, as long as it doesn't
+ go “too far”. We disagree.</p>
+ </li>
- <li>Spyware in Windows: <a
href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/02/28/windows_update_keeps_tabs/";>
- Windows Update snoops on the user.</a>
- <a
href="http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/look-the-black-underbelly-of-windows-81-blue-222175";>
- Windows 8.1 snoops on local searches.</a> And there's a
- <a href="http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article40836.html";>
- secret NSA key in Windows</a>, whose functions we don't know.</li>
-
- <li><p>
- <a
href="http://www.itproportal.com/2014/05/14/microsoft-openly-offered-cloud-data-fbi-and-nsa/";>
- Microsoft SkyDrive allows the NSA to directly examine users' data.</a></p>
+ <li id="M201603090">
+ <p>Microsoft has made companies'
+ Windows machines managed by the company's sysadmins <a
+
href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/3042397/microsoft-windows/admins-beware-domain-attached-pcs-are-sprouting-get-windows-10-ads.html";>harangue
+ users to complain to the sysadmins about not “upgrading”
+ to Windows 10</a>.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201601160">
+ <p>Microsoft has <a
+
href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/16/10780876/microsoft-windows-support-policy-new-processors-skylake";>desupported
+ all future Intel CPUs for Windows 7 and 8</a>. Those
+ machines will be stuck with the nastier Windows 10. <a
+
href="http://gizmodo.com/only-the-latest-version-of-windows-will-run-on-some-fut-1753545825";>
+ AMD and Qualcomm CPUs, too</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Of course, Windows 7 and 8 are unethical too, because they are
+ proprietary software. But this example of Microsoft's wielding its
+ power demonstrates the power it holds.</p>
+
+ <p>Free software developers also stop maintaining old versions of
+ their programs, but this is not unfair to users because the users of
+ free software have control over it. If it is important enough to you,
+ you and other users can hire someone to support the old version on
+ your future platforms.</p>
</li>
</ul>
-<h3 id="microsoft-drm">Microsoft DRM</h3>
+
+<h3 id="jails">Microsoft Jails</h3>
+
<ul>
- <li><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/2007/08/aacs-tentacles/";>
- DRM (digital restrictions mechanisms) in Windows</a>, introduced to
- cater to <a
href="https://gnu.org/philosophy/proprietary-drm.html#bluray";>Bluray</a> disks.
- (The article also talks about how the same malware would later be introduced
- in MacOS.)</p></li>
+ <li id="M201706130">
+ <p>Windows 10 S was a jail: <a
+
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/03/windows-10-s-microsoft-faster-pc-comparison";>
+ only programs from the Windows Store could be
+ installed and executed</a>. It was however possible to <a
+
href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/13/15789998/microsoft-windows-10-s-upgrade-windows-10-pro-guide";>
+ upgrade to Windows 10 Pro</a>. The successor of Windows
+ 10 S is a special configuration of Windows 10 called <a
+
href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/4020089/windows-10-in-s-mode-faq";>
+ S mode</a>. The major difference with Windows 10 S is that there is
+ an easy way to switch out of S mode.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201210080">
+ <p><a
+
href="http://www.itworld.com/article/2832657/operating-systems/microsoft-metro-app-store-lock-down.html";>
+ Windows 8 on “mobile devices” (now defunct) was a
+ jail</a>.</p>
+ </li>
</ul>
-<h3 id="microsoft-jails">Microsoft Jails</h3>
+
+<h3 id="sabotage">Microsoft Sabotage</h3>
+
+<p>The wrongs in this section are not precisely malware, since they do
+not involve making the program that runs in a way that hurts the user.
+But they are a lot like malware, since they are technical Microsoft
+actions that harm the users of specific Microsoft software.</p>
+
<ul>
- <li><p><a
href="http://www.itworld.com/operating-systems/301057/microsoft-metro-app-store-lockdown";>
- Windows 8 on âmobile devicesâ is a jail</a>: it censors the
- user's choice of application programs.</p></li>
+ <li id="M201704194">
+ <p>Microsoft has made Windows 7
+ and 8 cease to function on certain new computers, <a
+
href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4012982/the-processor-is-not-supported-together-with-the-windows-version-that";>effectively
+ forcing their owners to switch to Windows 10</a>.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201704130">
+ <p>Microsoft <a
+
href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/04/new-processors-are-now-blocked-from-receiving-updates-on-old-windows/";>
+ has dropped support for Windows 7 and 8 on recent processors</a>
+ in a big hurry.</p>
+
+ <p>It makes no difference what legitimate reasons Microsoft might
+ have for not doing work to support them. If it doesn't want to do
+ this work, it should let users do the work.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201608170">
+ <p id="windows10-forcing">In 2015, users reported that <a
+
href="http://www.networkworld.com/article/2993490/windows/windows-10-upgrades-reportedly-appearing-as-mandatory-for-some-users.html#tk.rss_all";>
+ Microsoft was forcing them to replace Windows 7 and 8 with all-spying
+ Windows 10</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Microsoft did use many tricks to “persuade”
+ reluctant users to switch. Among other things, it forced <a
+
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/sep/11/microsoft-downloading-windows-1";>
+ stealth downloads of Windows
+ 10</a>. Not only did the unwanted downloads <a
+
href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/06/03/windows_10_upgrade_satellite_link/";>
+ use up much needed resources</a>, but many of
+ the people who let installation proceed found
+ out that this “upgrade” was in fact a <a
+
href="http://gizmodo.com/woman-wins-10-000-from-microsoft-after-unwanted-window-1782666146";>
+ downgrade</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Then Microsoft attacked the
+ computers that were still running Windows 7 or 8 by <a
+
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/3012278/microsoft-windows/microsoft-sets-stage-for-massive-windows-10-upgrade-strategy.html";>
+ repeatedly switching on a flag that urged
+ users to “upgrade” to Windows 10</a>
+ when they had turned it off. This was done through <a
+
href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/17/microsoft_windows_10_upgrade_gwx_vs_humanity/";>
+ deviant use of Windows Update</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Later on, Microsoft published instructions on <a
+
href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/01/microsoft-finally-has-a-proper-way-to-opt-out-of-windows-78-to-windows-10-upgrades/";>
+ how to permanently reject the downgrade to Windows 10</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>A detailed <a
+
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/08/windows-10-microsoft-blatantly-disregards-user-choice-and-privacy-deep-dive";>
+ analysis of Microsoft's scheme</a> is available on the Electronic
+ Frontier Foundation's website.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201606010">
+ <p>Once Microsoft has tricked a user
+ into accepting installation of Windows 10, <a
+
href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/06/01/windows_10_nagware_no_way_out/";>they
+ find that they are denied the option to cancel or even postpone the
+ imposed date of installation</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>This demonstrates what we've said for years: using proprietary
+ software means letting someone have power over you, and you're going
+ to get screwed sooner or later.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201601310">
+ <p>FTDI's proprietary driver
+ for its USB-to-serial chips has been designed to <a
+
href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/10/windows-update-drivers-bricking-usb-serial-chips-beloved-of-hardware-hackers/";>sabotage
+ alternative compatible chips</a>
+ so that they no longer work. Microsoft is <a
+
href="http://it.slashdot.org/story/16/01/31/1720259/ftdi-driver-breaks-hardware-again";>installing
+ this automatically</a> as an “upgrade”.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201511240">
+ <p>Windows 10 “upgrades” <a
+
href="http://www.ghacks.net/2015/11/24/beware-latest-windows-10-update-may-remove-programs-automatically/";>
+ delete applications</a> without asking permission.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201503260">
+ <p><a
+
href="https://www.computerworlduk.com/it-business/windows-xp-end-of-an-era-end-of-an-error-3569489/";>Microsoft
+ cut off security fixes for Windows XP, except to some big users that
+ pay exorbitantly</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Microsoft is going to <a
+
href="https://www.computerworlduk.com/applications/more-than-half-of-all-ie-users-face-patch-axe-in-10-months-3605515/";>
+ cut off support for some Internet Explorer versions</a> in the same
+ way.</p>
+
+ <p>A person or company has the right to cease to work on a particular
+ program; the wrong here is Microsoft does this after having made the
+ users dependent on Microsoft, because they are not free to ask anyone
+ else to work on the program for them.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201306220">
+ <p><a
+
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130622044225/http://blogs.computerworlduk.com/open-enterprise/2013/06/how-can-any-company-ever-trust-microsoft-again/index.htm";>Microsoft
+ informs the NSA of bugs in Windows before fixing them</a>.</p>
+ </li>
</ul>
-<h3 id="microsoft-tyrants">Microsoft Tyrants</h3>
+
+<h3 id="subscriptions">Microsoft Subscriptions</h3>
+
<ul>
- <li><p><a href="http://fsf.org/campaigns/secure-boot-vs-restricted-boot/";>
- Mobile devices that come with Windows 8 are tyrants</a>: they block
- users from installing other or modified operating systems.</p></li>
+ <li id="M201507150">
+ <p>Microsoft Office forces users <a
+
href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/2948755/windows-apps/office-for-windows-10-will-require-office-365-subscription-on-pcs-larger-tablets.html";>to
+ subscribe to Office 365 to be able to create/edit documents</a>.</p>
+ </li>
</ul>
-<p>As this page shows, if you do want to clean your computer of malware,
-the first software to delete is Windows.</p>
+<h3 id="surveillance">Microsoft Surveillance</h3>
-</div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above -->
+<ul>
+ <li id="M201710134">
+ <p>Windows 10 telemetry program sends information to Microsoft about
+ the user's computer and their use of the computer.</p>
+
+ <p>Furthermore, for users who installed the
+ fourth stable build of Windows 10, called the
+ “Creators Update,” Windows maximized the surveillance <a
+
href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/10/dutch-privacy-regulator-says-that-windows-10-breaks-the-law";>
+ by force setting the telemetry mode to “Full”</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>The <a
+
href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/configure-windows-diagnostic-data-in-your-organization#full-level";>
+ “Full” telemetry mode</a> allows Microsoft Windows
+ engineers to access, among other things, registry keys <a
+ href="https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc939702.aspx";>which
+ can contain sensitive information like administrator's login
+ password</a>.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201702020">
+ <p>DRM-restricted files <a
+
href="https://yro.slashdot.org/story/17/02/02/231229/windows-drm-protected-files-used-to-decloak-tor-browser-users";>can
+ be used to identify people browsing through Tor</a>. The vulnerability
+ exists only if you use Windows.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201611240">
+ <p>By default, Windows 10 <a
+
href="http://betanews.com/2016/11/24/microsoft-shares-windows-10-telemetry-data-with-third-parties";>sends
+ debugging information to Microsoft, including core dumps</a>. Microsoft
+ now distributes them to another company.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201603170">
+ <p><a
+
href="https://duo.com/blog/bring-your-own-dilemma-oem-laptops-and-windows-10-security";>
+ Windows 10 comes with 13 screens of snooping options</a>, all enabled
+ by default, and turning them off would be daunting to most users.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201601050">
+ <p>It appears <a
+
href="http://www.ghacks.net/2016/01/05/microsoft-may-be-collecting-more-data-than-initially-thought/";>
+ Windows 10 sends data to Microsoft about what applications are
+ running</a>.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201511264">
+ <p>A downgrade to Windows 10 deleted surveillance-detection
+ applications. Then another downgrade inserted a general spying
+ program. Users noticed this and complained, so Microsoft renamed it <a
+
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160407082751/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/26/microsoft_renamed_data_slurper_reinserted_windows_10/";>
+ to give users the impression it was gone</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>To use proprietary software is to invite such treatment.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201508130">
+ <p><a
+
href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/08/even-when-told-not-to-windows-10-just-cant-stop-talking-to-microsoft/";>
+ Windows 10 sends identifiable information to Microsoft</a>, even if
+ a user turns off its Bing search and Cortana features, and activates
+ the privacy-protection settings.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201507300">
+ <p>Windows 10 <a
+
href="https://jonathan.porta.codes/2015/07/30/windows-10-seems-to-have-some-scary-privacy-defaults/";>
+ ships with default settings that show no regard for the privacy of
+ its users</a>, giving Microsoft the “right” to snoop on
+ the users' files, text input, voice input, location info, contacts,
+ calendar records and web browsing history, as well as automatically
+ connecting the machines to open hotspots and showing targeted ads.</p>
+
+ <p>We can suppose Microsoft look at users' files for the US government
+ on demand, though the “privacy policy” does not explicitly
+ say so. Will it look at users' files for the Chinese government
+ on demand?</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201506170">
+ <p>Microsoft uses Windows 10's “privacy policy”
+ to overtly impose a “right” to look at
+ users' files at any time. Windows 10 full disk encryption <a
+
href="https://edri.org/microsofts-new-small-print-how-your-personal-data-abused/";>
+ gives Microsoft a key</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Thus, Windows is overt malware in regard to surveillance, as in
+ other issues.</p>
+
+ <p>We can suppose Microsoft look at users' files for the US government
+ on demand, though the “privacy policy” does not explicit
+ say so. Will it look at users' files for the Chinese government
+ on demand?</p>
+
+ <p>The unique “advertising ID” for each user enables
+ other companies to track the browsing of each specific user.</p>
+
+ <p>It's as if Microsoft has deliberately chosen to make Windows 10
+ maximally evil on every dimension; to make a grab for total power
+ over anyone that doesn't drop Windows now.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201410040">
+ <p>It only gets worse with time. <a
+
href="http://www.techworm.net/2014/10/microsofts-windows-10-permission-watch-every-move.html";>
+ Windows 10 requires users to give permission for total snooping</a>,
+ including their files, their commands, their text input, and their
+ voice input.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201405140">
+ <p><a
+
href="http://www.itproportal.com/2014/05/14/microsoft-openly-offered-cloud-data-fbi-and-nsa/";>
+ Microsoft SkyDrive allows the NSA to directly examine users'
+ data</a>.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201307110">
+ <p>Skype contains <a
+
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130928235637/http://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2013/06/20/project-chess-how-u-s-snoops-on-your-skype/";>spyware</a>.
+ Microsoft changed Skype <a
+
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-collaboration-user-data";>
+ specifically for spying</a>.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201307080">
+ <p>Spyware in older versions of Windows: <a
+
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160313105805/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/02/28/windows_update_keeps_tabs/";>
+ Windows Update snoops on the user</a>. <a
+
href="https://www.infoworld.com/article/2611451/microsoft-windows/a-look-at-the-black-underbelly-of-windows-8-1--blue-.html";>
+ Windows 8.1 snoops on local searches</a>. And there's a <a
+ href="http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article40836.html";> secret NSA
+ key in Windows</a>, whose functions we don't know.</p>
+ </li>
+</ul>
- <!-- begin server/footer-text.html -->
-<div id="fsf-links">
- <ul>
- <li><a href="https://gnu.org/";>GNU home page</a></li>
- <li><a href="http://www.fsf.org/";>FSF home page</a></li>
- <li><a href="https://gnu.org/graphics/graphics.html";>GNU Art</a></li>
- <li><a href="https://gnu.org/fun/fun.html";>GNU Fun</a></li>
- <li><a href="https://gnu.org/people/people.html";>GNU's Who?</a></li>
- <li><a
href="http://directory.fsf.org/";>Free Software Directory</a></li>
- <li><a href="https://gnu.org/server/sitemap.html";>Site map</a></li>
- </ul>
-</div><!-- /fsf-links -->
-
-<div id="mission-statement">
-
-<blockquote>
-<p><a href="http://www.fsf.org/";><img id="fsfbanner"
src="/fsf-logo-notext.png" alt=" [FSF logo] "></a><strong>âOur
-mission is to preserve, protect and promote the freedom to use, study,
-copy, modify, and redistribute computer software, and to defend the
-rights of Free Software users.â</strong></p>
-</blockquote>
-
-<p>The <a href="http://www.fsf.org/";>Free Software Foundation</a> is
-the principal organizational sponsor of the GNU Operating System.
-<strong>Support GNU and the FSF</strong> by <a
href="http://shop.fsf.org/";>buying manuals and gear</a>, <a
href="https://my.fsf.org/associate/support_freedom?referrer=4052";>
-<strong>joining the FSF</strong></a> as an associate member, or making
-a <strong>donation</strong>, either <a href="http://donate.fsf.org/";>directly
to the FSF</a> or <a
href="http://flattr.com/thing/313733/gnuproject-on-Flattr";>via
-Flattr</a>.</p>
-<p id="backtotop"><a href="#header">back to top</a></p>
+<h3 id="tyrants">Microsoft Tyrants</h3>
+
+<ul>
+ <li id="M201607150">
+ <p>Microsoft accidentally left a way for users
+ to install GNU/Linux on Windows RT tablets, but now it has <a
+
href="http://www.securitynewspaper.com/2016/07/15/microsoft-silently-kills-dev-backdoor-boots-linux-locked-windows-rt-slabs/";>
+ “fixed” the “error”</a>. They have the gall
+ to call this “protecting” the users. The article talks
+ of installing “Linux”, but the context shows it is really
+ <a href="/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html">GNU/Linux</a> that users install.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201110110">
+ <p><a href="https://fsf.org/campaigns/secure-boot-vs-restricted-boot/";>
+ Mobile devices that come with Windows 8 are tyrants</a>.</p>
+ </li>
+</ul>
-</div><!-- /mission-statement -->
-<!-- end server/footer-text.html -->
+<p>As this page shows, if you do want to clean your computer of malware,
+the first software to delete is Windows.</p>
+</div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above -->
+<!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" -->
<div id="footer">
<div class="unprintable">
<p>Please send general FSF & GNU inquiries to
<a href="mailto:address@hidden";><address@hidden></a>.
-There are also <a href="https://gnu.org/contact/";>other ways to contact</a>
+There are also <a href="/contact/">other ways to contact</a>
the FSF. Broken links and other corrections or suggestions can be sent
to <a href="mailto:address@hidden";><address@hidden></a>.</p>
@@ -335,7 +558,8 @@
our web pages, see <a
href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations
README</a>. -->
-Please see the <a
href="https://gnu.org/server/standards/README.translations.html";>Translations
+Please see the <a
+href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations
README</a> for information on coordinating and submitting translations
of this article.</p>
</div>
@@ -357,27 +581,20 @@
There is more detail about copyright years in the GNU Maintainers
Information document, www.gnu.org/prep/maintain. -->
-<p>Copyright © 2014, 2015 Free Software Foundation, Inc.</p>
-
-<p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license"
href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/";>Creative
-Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.</p>
-
-<!-- start of server/bottom-notes.html -->
-<div class="unprintable">
-<p><a href="http://www.fsf.org/about/dmca-notice";>Copyright Infringement
Notification</a></p>
-
+<p>Copyright © 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Free Software Foundation,
Inc.</p>
-</div>
-<!-- end of server/bottom-notes.html -->
+<p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license"
+href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/";>Creative
+Commons Attribution 4.0 International License</a>.</p>
+<!--#include virtual="/server/bottom-notes.html" -->
<p class="unprintable">Updated:
<!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2015/06/24 09:42:15 $
+$Date: 2018/09/23 21:05:07 $
<!-- timestamp end -->
</p>
</div>
</div>
-
-
-</body></html>
+</body>
+</html>
Index: proprietary-back-doors.html
===================================================================
RCS file:
/webcvs/www/www/server/staging/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html,v
retrieving revision 1.2
retrieving revision 1.3
diff -u -b -r1.2 -r1.3
--- proprietary-back-doors.html 22 Feb 2018 15:36:26 -0000 1.2
+++ proprietary-back-doors.html 23 Sep 2018 21:05:07 -0000 1.3
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
<!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" -->
<!-- Parent-Version: 1.85 -->
+<!--
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ Generated from propr-blurbs.rec. Please do not edit this file manually !
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+-->
<title>Proprietary Back Doors - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
<!--#include virtual="/proprietary/po/proprietary-back-doors.translist" -->
<!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->
@@ -16,156 +21,126 @@
<p>Here are examples of demonstrated back doors in proprietary software.
They are sorted out according to what they are known to allow. Back doors
-that can be used for remotely changing or installing software are called
-“universal” because they grant the developer total control
-over the user's computer.</p>
+that allow full control over the operating system are said to be
+“universal”.</p>
+
+<p>If you know of an example that ought to be in this page but isn't
+here, please write
+to <a href="mailto:address@hidden";><address@hidden></a>
+to inform us. Please include the URL of a trustworthy reference or two
+to present the specifics.</p>
<p class="c">
- <a href="#spying">Spying on users</a> |
- <a href="#user-access">Manipulating users' data/settings</a> |
- <a href="#root-access">Changing/installing software</a> |
+ <a href="#spy">Spying</a> |
+ <a href="#alter-data">Altering user's data/settings</a> |
+ <a href="#install-delete">Installing/deleting programs</a> |
+ <a href="#universal">Full control</a> |
<a href="#other">Other/undefined</a>
</p>
-<!-- WEBMASTERS: make sure to place new items on top under each subsection -->
-<h3 id="spying">Spying on users</h3>
+<h3 id='spy'>Spying</h3>
+
+
+<h3 id='alter-data'>Altering user's data or settings</h3>
+
<ul>
- <li>
- <p id="InternetCameraBackDoor">Many models of Internet-connected
- cameras contain a glaring back door—they have login accounts
- with hard-coded passwords, which can't be changed, and <a
-
href="https://arstechnica.com/security/2017/06/internet-cameras-expose-private-video-feeds-and-remote-controls/";>
- there is no way to delete these accounts either</a>.</p>
- <p>Since these accounts with hard-coded passwords are impossible to
- delete, this problem is not merely an insecurity; it amounts to a
- back door that can be used by the manufacturer (and government) to
- spy on users.</p>
- </li>
-
- <li>
- <p>WhatsApp <a
-
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/13/whatsapp-backdoor-allows-snooping-on-encrypted-messages";>
- has a back door that the company can use to read the plaintext
- of messages</a>.</p>
- <p>This should not come as a surprise. Nonfree software for
- encryption is never trustworthy.</p>
- </li>
-
- <li>
- <p><a
href="https://theintercept.com/2015/12/28/recently-bought-a-windows-computer-microsoft-probably-has-your-encryption-key/";>
- Microsoft has already backdoored its disk encryption</a>.</p>
- </li>
-
- <li>
- <p>Apple can, and regularly does, <a
-
href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/2014/05/new-guidelines-outline-what-iphone-data-apple-can-give-to-police/";>
- remotely extract some data from iPhones for the state</a>.</p>
- <p>This may have improved with <a
-
href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/2014/09/17/2612af58-3ed2-11e4-b03f-de718edeb92f_story.html";>
- iOS 8 security improvements</a>; but <a
- href="https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/09/22/apple-data/";>
- not as much as Apple claims</a>.</p>
+ <li id="M201809140">
+ <p>Android has a <a
+
href="https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2018/9/14/17861150/google-battery-saver-android-9-pie-remote-settings-change";>
+ back door for remotely changing “user” settings</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>The article suggests it might be a universal back door, but this
+ isn't clear.</p>
</li>
-</ul>
-<h3 id="user-access">Manipulating users' data or settings</h3>
-<ul>
- <li id="chrome-erase-addons">
- <p>Chrome has a back door <a
-
href="https://consumerist.com/2017/01/18/why-is-google-blocking-this-ad-blocker-on-chrome/";>
- for remote erasure of add-ons</a>.</p>
+ <li id="M201607284">
+ <p>The Dropbox app for Macintosh <a
+
href="http://applehelpwriter.com/2016/07/28/revealing-dropboxs-dirty-little-security-hack/";>
+ takes control of user interface items after luring the user into
+ entering an admin password</a>.</p>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201604250">
<p>A pregnancy test controller application not only can <a
-
href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/25/11503718/first-response-pregnancy-pro-test-bluetooth-app-security";>
- spy on many sorts of data in the phone, and in server accounts, it
- can alter them too</a>.</p>
+
href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/25/11503718/first-response-pregnancy-pro-test-bluetooth-app-security";>spy
+ on many sorts of data in the phone, and in server accounts, it can
+ alter them too</a>.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>The Dropbox app for Macintosh <a
-
href="http://applehelpwriter.com/2016/07/28/revealing-dropboxs-dirty-little-security-hack/";>
- takes total control of the machine by repeatedly nagging the user
- for an admin password</a>.</p>
+ <li id="M201512074">
+ <p><a
+
href="http://www.itworld.com/article/2705284/data-protection/backdoor-found-in-d-link-router-firmware-code.html";>
+ Some D-Link routers</a> have a back door for changing settings in a
+ dlink of an eye.</p>
+
+ <p><a href="http://sekurak.pl/tp-link-httptftp-backdoor/";> The TP-Link
+ router has a back door</a>.</p>
+
+ <p><a href="https://github.com/elvanderb/TCP-32764";>Many models of
+ routers have back doors</a>.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>Users reported that <a
-
href="http://www.networkworld.com/article/2993490/windows/windows-10-upgrades-reportedly-appearing-as-mandatory-for-some-users.html#tk.rss_all";>
- Microsoft was forcing them to replace Windows 7 and 8 with all-spying
- Windows 10</a>.</p>
- <p>Microsoft was in fact <a
-
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/3012278/microsoft-windows/microsoft-sets-stage-for-massive-windows-10-upgrade-strategy.html";>
- attacking computers that run Windows 7 and 8</a>, switching on a flag
- that said whether to “upgrade” to Windows 10 when users
- had turned it off.</p>
- <p>Later on, Microsoft published instructions on <a
-
href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/01/microsoft-finally-has-a-proper-way-to-opt-out-of-windows-78-to-windows-10-upgrades/";>
- how to permanently reject the downgrade to Windows 10</a>.</p>
- <p>This seems to involve use of a back door in Windows 7 and 8.</p>
+ <li id="M201511244">
+ <p>Google has long had <a
+
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/nov/24/google-can-unlock-android-devices-remotely-if-phone-unencrypted";>a
+ back door to remotely unlock an Android device</a>, unless its disk
+ is encrypted (possible since Android 5.0 Lollipop, but still not
+ quite the default).</p>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201511194">
<p>Caterpillar vehicles come with <a
href="http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-11-19/caterpillar-depression-has-never-been-worse-it-has-cunning-plan-how-deal-it";>
a back door to shutoff the engine</a> remotely.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>Modern gratis game cr…apps
- <a
href="http://toucharcade.com/2015/09/16/we-own-you-confessions-of-a-free-to-play-producer/";>
+ <li id="M201509160">
+ <p>Modern gratis game cr…apps <a
+
href="http://toucharcade.com/2015/09/16/we-own-you-confessions-of-a-free-to-play-producer/";>
collect a wide range of data about their users and their users'
friends and associates</a>.</p>
+
<p>Even nastier, they do it through ad networks that merge the data
collected by various cr…apps and sites made by different
companies.</p>
- <p>They use this data to manipulate people to buy things, and hunt
- for “whales” who can be led to spend a lot of money. They
- also use a back door to manipulate the game play for specific
players.</p>
+
+ <p>They use this data to manipulate people to buy things, and hunt for
+ “whales” who can be led to spend a lot of money. They also
+ use a back door to manipulate the game play for specific players.</p>
+
<p>While the article describes gratis games, games that cost money
can use the same tactics.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p><a id="samsung"
+ <li id="M201403121">
+ <p id="samsung"><a
href="https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/replicant-developers-find-and-close-samsung-galaxy-backdoor";>
Samsung Galaxy devices running proprietary Android versions come with
a back door</a> that provides remote access to the files stored on
the device.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p><a
href="http://www.itworld.com/article/2705284/data-protection/backdoor-found-in-d-link-router-firmware-code.html";>
- Some D-Link routers</a> have a back door for changing settings in a
- dlink of an eye.</p>
- <p><a href="https://github.com/elvanderb/TCP-32764";>Many models of router
- have back doors</a>.</p>
- </li>
-
- <li>
- <p><a href="http://sekurak.pl/tp-link-httptftp-backdoor/";>
- The TP-Link router has a back door</a>.</p>
- </li>
-
- <li id="swindle-eraser">
- <p>The Amazon Kindle-Swindle has a back door that has been used to <a
+ <li id="M201210220">
+ <p id="swindle-eraser">The Amazon
+ Kindle-Swindle has a back door that has been used to <a
href="http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/some-e-books-are-more-equal-than-others/";>
- remotely erase books</a>. One of the books erased was 1984, by George
- Orwell.</p>
- <p>Amazon responded to criticism by saying it would delete books only
- following orders from the state. However, that policy didn't last.
- In 2012 it <a
+ remotely erase books</a>. One of the books erased was
+ <cite>1984</cite>, by George Orwell.</p>
+
+ <p>Amazon responded to criticism by saying it
+ would delete books only following orders from the
+ state. However, that policy didn't last. In 2012 it <a
href="http://boingboing.net/2012/10/22/kindle-user-claims-amazon-dele.html";>
wiped a user's Kindle-Swindle and deleted her account</a>, then
offered her kafkaesque “explanations.”</p>
- <p>Do other ebook readers have back doors in their nonfree software?
- We don't know, and we have no way to find out. There is no reason
- to assume that they don't.</p>
+
+ <p>Do other ebook readers have back doors in their nonfree software? We
+ don't know, and we have no way to find out. There is no reason to
+ assume that they don't.</p>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201011220">
<p>The iPhone has a back door for <a
href="http://www.npr.org/2010/11/22/131511381/wipeout-when-your-company-kills-your-iphone";>
remote wipe</a>. It's not always enabled, but users are led into
@@ -173,17 +148,79 @@
</li>
</ul>
-<h3 id="root-access">Changing or installing software</h3>
+
+<h3 id='install-delete'>Installing or deleting programs</h3>
<ul>
- <li>
- <p>ChromeOS has a universal back door. At least, Google says
- it does—in <a
- href="https://www.google.com/intl/en/chromebook/termsofservice.html";>
- section 4 of the EULA</a>.</p>
+ <li id="M201804010">
+ <p>Some “Smart” TVs automatically <a
+
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180405014828/https:/twitter.com/buro9/status/980349887006076928";>load
+ downgrades that install a surveillance app</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>We link to the article for the facts it presents. It
+ is too bad that the article finishes by advocating the
+ moral weakness of surrendering to Netflix. The Netflix app <a
+ href="/proprietary/malware-google.html#netflix-app-geolocation-drm">is
+ malware too</a>.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201511090">
+ <p>Baidu's proprietary Android library, Moplus, has a back door that <a
+
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/11/millions-android-devices-vulnerable-remote-hijacking-baidu-wrote-code-google-made";>
+ can “upload files” as well as forcibly install
+ apps</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>It is used by 14,000 Android applications.</p>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201112080">
+ <p><a
+
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2500036/desktop-apps/microsoft--we-can-remotely-delete-windows-8-apps.html";>
+ Windows 8 also has a back door for remotely deleting apps</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>You might well decide to let a security service that you trust
+ remotely <em>deactivate</em> programs that it considers malicious.
+ But there is no excuse for <em>deleting</em> the programs, and you
+ should have the right to decide whom (if anyone) to trust in this
+ way.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201103070">
+ <p>In Android, <a
+
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2506557/security0/google-throws--kill-switch--on-android-phones.html";>
+ Google has a back door to remotely delete apps</a>. (It was in a
+ program called GTalkService, which seems since then to have been
+ merged into Google Play.)</p>
+
+ <p>Google can also <a
+
href="https://jon.oberheide.org/blog/2010/06/25/remote-kill-and-install-on-google-android/";>
+ forcibly and remotely install apps</a> through GTalkService. This is
+ not equivalent to a universal back door, but permits various dirty
+ tricks.</p>
+
+ <p>Although Google's <em>exercise</em> of this power has not been
+ malicious so far, the point is that nobody should have such power,
+ which could also be used maliciously. You might well decide to
+ let a security service remotely <em>deactivate</em> programs that
+ it considers malicious. But there is no excuse for allowing it to
+ <em>delete</em> the programs, and you should have the right to decide
+ who (if anyone) to trust in this way.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M200808110">
+ <p>The iPhone has a back door <a
+
href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/3358134/Apples-Jobs-confirms-iPhone-kill-switch.html";>
+ that allows Apple to remotely delete apps</a> which Apple considers
+ “inappropriate”. Jobs said it's OK for Apple to have
+ this power because of course we can trust Apple.</p>
+ </li>
+</ul>
+
+
+<h3 id='universal'>Full control</h3>
+
+<ul>
+ <li id="M201711244">
<p>The Furby Connect has a <a
href="https://www.contextis.com/blog/dont-feed-them-after-midnight-reverse-engineering-the-furby-connect";>
universal back door</a>. If the product as shipped doesn't act as a
@@ -191,203 +228,170 @@
into one.</p>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201711010">
<p>Sony has brought back its robotic pet Aibo, this time <a
href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/bj778v/sony-wants-to-sell-you-a-subscription-to-a-robot-dog-aibo-90s-pet";>
- with a universal back door, and tethered to a server that requires a
- subscription</a>.</p>
+ with a universal back door, and tethered to a server that requires
+ a subscription</a>.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>Tesla cars have a <a
+ <li id="M201709091">
+ <p>Tesla used software to limit the
+ part of the battery that was available to customers, and <a
href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/09/tesla-flips-a-switch-to-increase-the-range-of-some-cars-in-florida-to-help-people-evacuate/";>
- universal back door</a>.</p>
- <p>While remotely allowing car “owners” to use the whole
- battery capacity did not do them any harm, the same back door would
- permit Tesla (perhaps under the command of some government) to
- remotely order the car to use none of its battery. Or perhaps to drive
- its passenger to a torture prison.</p>
+ a universal back door in the software</a> to temporarily increase
+ this limit.</p>
+
+ <p>While remotely allowing car “owners” to use the
+ whole battery capacity did not do them any harm, the same back door
+ would permit Tesla (perhaps under the command of some government)
+ to remotely order the car to use none of its battery. Or perhaps to
+ drive its passenger to a torture prison.</p>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201702061">
<p>Vizio “smart” TVs <a
href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/business-blog/2017/02/what-vizio-was-doing-behind-tv-screen";>
have a universal back door</a>.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>The Amazon Echo appears to have a universal back door, since <a
- href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Echo#Software_updates";>
- it installs “updates” automatically</a>.</p>
- <p>We have found nothing explicitly documenting the lack of any way to
- disable remote changes to the software, so we are not completely sure
- there isn't one, but it seems pretty clear.</p>
- </li>
-
- <li>
+ <li id="M201609130">
<p>Xiaomi phones come with <a
href="https://www.thijsbroenink.com/2016/09/xiaomis-analytics-app-reverse-engineered";>
- a universal back door in the application processor, for
- Xiaomi's use</a>.</p>
+ a universal back door in the application processor, for Xiaomi's
+ use</a>.</p>
+
<p>This is separate from <a href="#universal-back-door-phone-modem">the
- universal back door in the modem processor that the local
- phone company can use</a>.</p>
+ universal back door in the modem processor that the local phone
+ company can use</a>.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>Capcom's Street Fighter V update <a
- href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/23/capcom_street_fighter_v/";>
- installed a driver that can be used as a back door by any application
- installed on a Windows computer</a>.</p>
- </li>
+ <li id="M201606060">
+ <p>The Amazon Echo appears to have a universal back door, since <a
+ href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Echo#Software_updates";>
+ it installs “updates” automatically</a>.</p>
- <li>
- <p>Baidu's proprietary Android library, Moplus, has a back door that <a
-
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/11/millions-android-devices-vulnerable-remote-hijacking-baidu-wrote-code-google-made";>
- can “upload files” as well as forcibly install apps</a>.</p>
- <p>It is used by 14,000 Android applications.</p>
+ <p>We have found nothing explicitly documenting the lack of any way
+ to disable remote changes to the software, so we are not completely
+ sure there isn't one, but this seems pretty clear.</p>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201507170">
<p>Microsoft Windows has a universal back door through which <a
-
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071011010707/http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201806263";>
+
href="http://www.informationweek.com/microsoft-updates-windows-without-user-permission-apologizes/d/d-id/1059183";>
any change whatsoever can be imposed on the users</a>.</p>
- <p>More information on when <a
- href="http://slated.org/windows_by_stealth_the_updates_you_dont_want";>
- this was used</a>.</p>
- <p>In Windows 10, the universal back door is no longer hidden; all
- “upgrades” will be <a
-
href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/07/windows-10-updates-to-be-automatic-and-mandatory-for-home-users/";>
- forcibly and immediately imposed</a>.</p>
- </li>
- <li>
- <p>Mac OS X had an <a
-
href="https://truesecdev.wordpress.com/2015/04/09/hidden-backdoor-api-to-root-privileges-in-apple-os-x/";>
- intentional local back door for 4 years</a>.</p>
- </li>
-
- <li>
- <p id="universal-back-door">Almost every phone's communication
- processor has a universal back door which is <a
-
href="https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/12/remotely_eavesd_1.html";>
- often used to make a phone transmit all conversations it hears</a>.</p>
- <p>The back door <a
-
href="http://www.osnews.com/story/27416/The_second_operating_system_hiding_in_every_mobile_phone";>
- may take the form of bugs that have gone 20 years unfixed</a>.
- The choice to leave the security holes in place is morally
- equivalent to writing a back door.</p>
- <p>The back door is in the “modem processor”, whose
- job is to communicate with the radio network. In most phones,
- the modem processor controls the microphone. In most phones it
- has the power to rewrite the software for the main processor
- too.</p>
- <p>A few phone models are specially designed so that the modem
- processor does not control the microphone, and so that it can't
- change the software in the main processor. They still have the
- back door, but at least it is unable to turn the phone unto a
- listening device.</p>
- <p>The universal back door is apparently also used to make phones <a
-
href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/07/22/nsa_can_reportedly_track_cellphones_even_when_they_re_turned_off.html";>
- transmit even when they are turned off</a>. This means their
- movements are tracked, and may also make the listening feature
- work.</p>
+ <p>This was <a
+
href="http://slated.org/windows_by_stealth_the_updates_you_dont_want";>reported
+ in 2007</a> for XP and Vista, and it seems
+ that Microsoft used the same method to push the <a
+ href="/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html#windows10-forcing">Windows
+ 10 downgrade</a> to computers running Windows 7 and 8.</p>
+
+ <p>In Windows 10, the universal back door
+ is no longer hidden; all “upgrades” will be <a
+
href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/07/windows-10-updates-to-be-automatic-and-mandatory-for-home-users/";>forcibly
+ and immediately imposed</a>.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201412180">
+ <p><a
+
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/18/chinese-android-phones-coolpad-hacker-backdoor";>
+ A Chinese version of Android has a universal back door</a>. Nearly
+ all models of mobile phones have a <a href="#universal-back-door">
+ universal back door in the modem chip</a>. So why did Coolpad bother
+ to introduce another? Because this one is controlled by Coolpad.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p><a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/18/chinese-android-phones-coolpad-hacker-backdoor";>
- A Chinese version of Android has a universal back door</a>. Nearly
- all models of mobile phones have a universal back door in the modem
- chip. So why did Coolpad bother to introduce another? Because this
- one is controlled by Coolpad.</p>
+ <li id="M201311300">
+ <p><a
+
href="http://www.techienews.co.uk/973462/bitcoin-miners-bundled-pups-legitimate-applications-backed-eula/";>
+ Some applications come with MyFreeProxy, which is a universal back
+ door that can download programs and run them</a>.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p><a
href="http://www.techienews.co.uk/973462/bitcoin-miners-bundled-pups-legitimate-applications-backed-eula/";>
- Some applications come with MyFreeProxy, which is a universal back door
- that can download programs and run them.</a></p>
+ <li id="M201202280">
+ <p>ChromeOS has a universal back
+ door. At least, Google says it does—in <a
+ href="https://www.google.com/intl/en/chromebook/termsofservice.html";>
+ section 4 of the EULA</a>.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>In addition to its <a href="#swindle-eraser">book eraser</a>, the
- Kindle-Swindle has a <a
+ <li id="M200700001">
+ <p>In addition to its <a href="#swindle-eraser">book
+ eraser</a>, the Kindle-Swindle has a <a
href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200774090";>
universal back door</a>.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p><a
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2500036/desktop-apps/microsoft--we-can-remotely-delete-windows-8-apps.html";>
- Windows 8 also has a back door for remotely deleting apps</a>.</p>
- <p>You might well decide to let a security service that you trust
- remotely <em>deactivate</em> programs that it considers malicious.
- But there is no excuse for <em>deleting</em> the programs, and you
- should have the right to decide who (if anyone) to trust in this
- way.</p>
+ <li id="M200612050">
+ <p>Almost every phone's communication
+ processor has a universal back door which is <a
+
href="https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/12/remotely_eavesd_1.html";>
+ often used to make a phone transmit all conversations it hears</a>. See
+ <a href="/proprietary/malware-mobiles.html#universal-back-door">Malware
+ in Mobile Devices</a> for more info.</p>
</li>
+</ul>
- <li>
- <p>In Android, <a
-
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2506557/security0/google-throws--kill-switch--on-android-phones.html";>
- Google has a back door to remotely delete apps.</a> (It was in a
- program called GTalkService, which seems since then to have been
- merged into Google Play.)</p>
- <p>Google can also <a
-
href="https://jon.oberheide.org/blog/2010/06/25/remote-kill-and-install-on-google-android/";>
- forcibly and remotely install apps</a> through GTalkService.
- This is not equivalent to a universal back door, but permits various
- dirty tricks.</p>
- <p>Although Google's <em>exercise</em> of this power has not been
- malicious so far, the point is that nobody should have such power,
- which could also be used maliciously. You might well decide to let a
- security service remotely <em>deactivate</em> programs that it
- considers malicious. But there is no excuse for allowing it
- to <em>delete</em> the programs, and you should have the right to
- decide who (if anyone) to trust in this way.</p>
+
+<h3 id='other'>Other or undefined</h3>
+
+<ul>
+ <li id="M201711204">
+ <p>Intel's intentional “management engine” back door has <a
+
href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/11/20/intel_flags_firmware_flaws/";>
+ unintended back doors</a> too.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>The iPhone has a back door <a
-
href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/3358134/Apples-Jobs-confirms-iPhone-kill-switch.html";>
- that allows Apple to remotely delete apps</a> which Apple considers
- “inappropriate”. Jobs said it's ok for Apple to have this
- power because of course we can trust Apple.</p>
+ <li id="M201609240">
+ <p>A Capcom's Street Fighter V update <a
+ href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/23/capcom_street_fighter_v/";>
+ installed a driver that could be used as a back door by
+ any application installed on a Windows computer</a>, but was <a
+
href="https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/09/24/street-fighter-v-removes-new-anti-crack";>
+ immediately rolled back</a> in response to public outcry.</p>
</li>
-</ul>
-<h3 id="other">Other or undefined</h3>
-<ul>
- <li>
- <p>Dell computers, shipped with Windows, had a bogus root certificate
- that <a
+ <li id="M201511260">
+ <p>Dell computers, shipped with
+ Windows, had a bogus root certificate that <a
href="http://fossforce.com/2015/11/dell-comcast-intel-who-knows-who-else-are-out-to-get-you/";>
allowed anyone (not just Dell) to remotely authorize any software to
run</a> on the computer.</p>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201511198">
<p>ARRIS cable modem has a <a
href="https://w00tsec.blogspot.de/2015/11/arris-cable-modem-has-backdoor-in.html?m=1";>
back door in the back door</a>.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>HP “storage appliances” that use the proprietary
- “Left Hand” operating system have back doors that give HP <a
-
href="https://insights.dice.com/2013/07/11/hp-keeps-installing-secret-backdoors-in-enterprise-storage/";>
- remote login access</a> to them. HP claims that this does not give HP
- access to the customer's data, but if the back door allows
- installation of software changes, a change could be installed that
- would give access to the customer's data.</p>
+ <li id="M201510200">
+ <p>“Self-encrypting” disk drives
+ do the encryption with proprietary firmware so you
+ can't trust it. Western Digital's “My Passport” drives <a
+
href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/mgbmma/some-popular-self-encrypting-hard-drives-have-really-bad-encryption";>
+ have a back door</a>.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201504090">
+ <p>Mac OS X had an <a
+
href="https://truesecdev.wordpress.com/2015/04/09/hidden-backdoor-api-to-root-privileges-in-apple-os-x/";>
+ intentional local back door for 4 years</a>, which could be exploited
+ by attackers to gain root privileges.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>German government <a
-
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160310201616/http://drleonardcoldwell.com/2013/08/23/leaked-german-government-warns-key-entities-not-to-use-windows-8-linked-to-nsa/";>
- veers away from Windows 8 computers with TPM 2.0 due to potential back
- door capabilities of the TPM 2.0 chip</a>.</p>
+ <li id="M201502060">
+ <p>Here is a suspicion that
+ we can't prove, but is worth thinking about: <a
+
href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150206003913/http://www.afr.com/p/technology/intel_chips_could_be_nsa_key_to_ymrhS1HS1633gCWKt5tFtI";>
+ Writable microcode for Intel and AMD microprocessors</a> may be a
+ vehicle for the NSA to invade computers, with the help of Microsoft,
+ say respected security experts.</p>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201309110">
<p>Here is a big problem whose details are still secret: <a
href="http://mashable.com/2013/09/11/fbi-microsoft-bitlocker-backdoor/";>
The FBI asks lots of companies to put back doors in proprietary
@@ -395,21 +399,30 @@
but every proprietary program for encryption is a possibility.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>Here is a suspicion that we can't prove, but is worth thinking
- about: <a
-
href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150206003913/http://www.afr.com/p/technology/intel_chips_could_be_nsa_key_to_ymrhS1HS1633gCWKt5tFtI";>
- Writable microcode for Intel and AMD microprocessors</a> may be a
- vehicle for the NSA to invade computers, with the help of Microsoft,
- say respected security experts.</p>
+ <li id="M201308230">
+ <p>The German government <a
+
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160310201616/http://drleonardcoldwell.com/2013/08/23/leaked-german-government-warns-key-entities-not-to-use-windows-8-linked-to-nsa/";>veers
+ away from Windows 8 computers with TPM 2.0</a>, due to potential back
+ door capabilities of the TPM 2.0 chip.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201307114">
+ <p>HP “storage appliances” that
+ use the proprietary “Left Hand”
+ operating system have back doors that give HP <a
+
href="https://insights.dice.com/2013/07/11/hp-keeps-installing-secret-backdoors-in-enterprise-storage/";>
+ remote login access</a> to them. HP claims that this does not
+ give HP access to the customer's data, but if the back door allows
+ installation of software changes, a change could be installed that
+ would give access to the customer's data.</p>
</li>
</ul>
+
<p>The EFF has other examples of the <a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/02/who-really-owns-your-drones";>
use of back doors</a>.</p>
-
</div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above -->
<!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" -->
<div id="footer">
@@ -443,14 +456,14 @@
<p>Copyright © 2014-2018 Free Software Foundation, Inc.</p>
<p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license"
-href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/";>Creative
-Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.</p>
+href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/";>Creative
+Commons Attribution 4.0 International License</a>.</p>
<!--#include virtual="/server/bottom-notes.html" -->
<p class="unprintable">Updated:
<!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2018/02/22 15:36:26 $
+$Date: 2018/09/23 21:05:07 $
<!-- timestamp end -->
</p>
</div>
Index: proprietary.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/server/staging/proprietary/proprietary.html,v
retrieving revision 1.1
retrieving revision 1.2
diff -u -b -r1.1 -r1.2
--- proprietary.html 16 Sep 2018 20:02:30 -0000 1.1
+++ proprietary.html 23 Sep 2018 21:05:07 -0000 1.2
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
<!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" -->
<!-- Parent-Version: 1.84 -->
+<!--
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ Generated from propr-blurbs.rec. Please do not edit this file manually !
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+-->
<title>Proprietary Software
- GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
<!--#include virtual="/proprietary/po/proprietary.translist" -->
@@ -7,6 +12,8 @@
div.companies { float: right; margin-bottom: .5em; }
div.malfunctions { max-width: 27em; }
<!--
+.button { float: left; margin: 0 .5em; }
+.button a { display: inline-block; }
div.toc h3 {
text-align: left;
font-size: 1.2em;
@@ -16,10 +23,15 @@
div.toc li { list-style: none; margin-bottom: 1em; }
div.toc p { margin: 0 3%; }
div.toc { margin-top: 1em; }
+
--></style>
<!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->
<h2>Proprietary Software Is Often Malware</h2>
+<p class="button"><a href="#TOC">Table of contents</a></p>
+<p class="button"><a href="#latest">Latest additions</a></p>
+<div style="clear: both"></div>
+
<p>Proprietary software, also called nonfree software,
means software that doesn't
<a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">respect users' freedom and
@@ -47,7 +59,7 @@
instances of malicious functionalities, but there are surely thousands
more we don't know about.</p>
-<div class="toc">
+<div class="toc" id="TOC">
<div class="companies">
<h3>Company or type of product</h3>
<ul>
@@ -103,10 +115,25 @@
software functionality.</p>
-<h3>Latest additions</h3>
+<h3 id="latest">Latest additions</h3>
<ul>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201809140">
+ <p>Android has a <a
+
href="https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2018/9/14/17861150/google-battery-saver-android-9-pie-remote-settings-change";>
+ back door for remotely changing “user” settings</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>The article suggests it might be a universal back door, but this
+ isn't clear.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201809120">
+ <p>One version of Windows 10 <a
+
href="https://www.ghacks.net/2018/09/12/microsoft-intercepting-firefox-chrome-installation-on-windows-10/";>
+ harangues users if they try to install Firefox (or Chrome)</a>.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201712060">
<p>Learn how <a
href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/joseph-farrell/the-fascinating-psycholog_b_6076502.html";>
gratis-to-play-and-not-win-much games manipulate their useds
@@ -176,7 +203,7 @@
<p class="unprintable">Updated:
<!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2018/09/16 20:02:30 $
+$Date: 2018/09/23 21:05:07 $
<!-- timestamp end -->
</p>
</div>
- www/server/staging/proprietary malware-microsof...,
Therese Godefroy <=
- www/server/staging/proprietary malware-microsof..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/24
- www/server/staging/proprietary malware-microsof..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/26
- www/server/staging/proprietary malware-microsof..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/26
- www/server/staging/proprietary malware-microsof..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/26
- www/server/staging/proprietary malware-microsof..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/26
- www/server/staging/proprietary malware-microsof..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/26