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Major windows XP vulnerability

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  • 11-12-2005 4:32pm
    #1
    Thomas_S_Hunterson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,151 ✭✭✭


    If this has been posted before, i apologise in advance

    It recently came to my attention that the function in windows XP of privatizing your files is about as much use as a non-encrypted password. If anyone else were to have access to your PC, they could boot it up with a Live Linux Boot Disc such as SLAX and just access the files on the hard drive, and becaue it's Linux and windows isn't loaded, you have access to literally everything on the computer no questions asked

    Is this just another one of microsofts 'boo-boos', because it seems like a fairly blatant and stupid mistake.


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    #2
    liamo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭liamo


    It's not a mistake or a boo-boo and it's not a problem that's exclusive to Windows. Booting the PC with a Live CD bypasses any security that you've set up on the PC.

    The bottom line is that if a bad-guy has phsical access to your PC and enough time, your data is his.

    If your data is sensitive and there is the possibility of someone gaining unauthorised access to it (or if your level of paranoia is high enough) you could consider encrypting your sensitive data. There are free and commercial tools for doing this for you.


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    #3
    Cake Fiend
    Registered Users Posts: 5,335 ✭✭✭Cake Fiend


    You're only figuring this out now? :confused:

    As liamo mentions, if your data is really that important, you should be encrypting it and/or storing it on a removable drive that can be kept in a safe place.


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    #4
    Thomas_S_Hunterson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,151 ✭✭✭Thomas_S_Hunterson


    Aye, bit of a shock to the system i suppose,


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    #5
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,974 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    sean_keevey wrote:
    If this has been posted before, i apologise in advance

    It recently came to my attention that the function in windows XP of privatizing your files is about as much use as a non-encrypted password..
    Who needs Linux ?

    You could do that since 1996 with just a Dos 5 boot disk and NTFSdos http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/NtfsDos.html 39KB download ( 53KB expanded )
    It's freeware but you can buy one that allows you to write to the disk too.


    Just as secure as hidden shares - windows being the only OS that doesn't display them.

    BTW: if you think of encrypted NTFS make two copies of the password disk and keep them safe and apart.


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