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www/server/staging/proprietary backdoor-definit...


From: Therese Godefroy
Subject: www/server/staging/proprietary backdoor-definit...
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2021 04:20:30 -0400 (EDT)

CVSROOT:        /webcvs/www
Module name:    www
Changes by:     Therese Godefroy <th_g> 21/08/23 04:20:30

Modified files:
        server/staging/proprietary: backdoor-definition.html 

Log message:
        Explain how the commands are executed:
        https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/private/www-discuss/2021/014122.html

CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/server/staging/proprietary/backdoor-definition.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.1&r2=1.2

Patches:
Index: backdoor-definition.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/server/staging/proprietary/backdoor-definition.html,v
retrieving revision 1.1
retrieving revision 1.2
diff -u -b -r1.1 -r1.2
--- backdoor-definition.html    22 Aug 2021 12:57:44 -0000      1.1
+++ backdoor-definition.html    23 Aug 2021 08:20:29 -0000      1.2
@@ -25,20 +25,17 @@
 <div style="clear: both"></div>
 <div id="last-div" class="reduced-width">
 <h2>What Is a Back Door?</h2>
-<div class="thin"></div>
 
-<p><span style="color: red">Proposition 1:</span>
-A back door is a feature in a program or device that listens for
-remote commands, and executes them. Whether this feature is documented
-or not is irrelevant.</p>
-
-<p><span style="color: blue">Proposition 2:</span>
-A back door is a feature in a program or device that listens for
-remote commands, and tells the command targets to execute them. Whether
-this feature is documented or not is irrelevant.</p>
+<address class="byline">by Richard Stallman</address>
+
+<div class="article">
+<p>A back door is a feature in a program or device that listens for remote
+commands, and does what those commands tell it to do. Whether this
+feature is documented or not is irrelevant.</p>
 
 <p>Each back door will have a certain repertoire of command operations.
 Here are some examples to illustrate that point:</p>
+
 <ul>
 <li>iOS has a back door whose commands can tell it to install app FOO.
 That is the operation we know it supports.  Perhaps it supports others
@@ -57,6 +54,7 @@
 </ul>
 
 <p>Those are the real examples I know of, but we could imagine</p>
+
 <ul>
 <li>a back door in an internet-connected thermostat which
 has commands to (1) set the desired temperature and (2) turn heating
@@ -69,18 +67,23 @@
 flash lights on and off.</li>
 </ul>
 
-<p>There is a wide range of possible behaviors for back doors.  Always
-the question is, &ldquo;What does this back door offer commands to
-do?&rdquo;</p>
-
-<p><span style="color: red">Proposition 1:</span>
-<em>The common thread of all back doors is that they receive remote
-commands, and obey them.</em></p>
-
-<p><span style="color: blue">Proposition 2:</span>
-<em>The common thread of all back doors is that they receive remote
-commands, and force the program or device to obey them.</em></p>
+<p>There will always be some code which receives the commands, and code
+which carries them out. In some cases, the two together are the back
+door.  In other cases, the actions can be invoked in other ways,
+so that the part that receives the commands is the back door.</p>
+
+<p>For instance, in the Amazon Swindle, I am sure there is a user command
+to delete a book.  Thus, the back door to delete a book will invoke
+the same code that implements the user command.</p>
+
+<p>On the other hand, the universal back door in the Amazon Swindle can
+change the installed software.  There may not be anything else that
+installs software sent remotely.  In this case, I'd say the code to do
+that is part of the back door.</p>
 
+<p>There is a wide range of possible behaviors.  Always the question is,
+&ldquo;What does this back door offer commands to do?&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
 
 </div>
 <!--#include virtual="/proprietary/proprietary-menu.html" -->
@@ -130,7 +133,7 @@
      There is more detail about copyright years in the GNU Maintainers
      Information document, www.gnu.org/prep/maintain. -->
 
-<p>Copyright &copy; 2021 Free Software Foundation, Inc.</p>
+<p>Copyright &copy; 2021 Richard Stallman</p>
 
 <p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license"
 href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/";>Creative
@@ -140,7 +143,7 @@
 
 <p class="unprintable">Updated:
 <!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2021/08/22 12:57:44 $
+$Date: 2021/08/23 08:20:29 $
 <!-- timestamp end -->
 </p>
 </div>



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