Windows 10: Microsoft Confirms Source Code Leak; Raises Concern on More Security Risks
Microsoft confirmed that a bunch of crucial source codes and some internal builds for Windows 10 have been leaked, sparking concern that more security risks will ensue.
The Register was the first to spot the leak which amounted to a total of 32 TB of files that were compressed to an 8 TB folder of "official and non-public installation images and software blueprints" for Windows 10.
The massive collection of data included confidential source codes and were dumped at the Beta Archive website that made it downloadable for anyone who finds it.
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In a statement provided to The Verge, Microsoft said: "Our review confirms that these files are actually a portion of the source code from the Shared Source Initiative and is used by OEMs and partners."
The data included in the leak, according to The Register, was part of Microsoft's Shared Source Kit that reportedly contains the company's PnP code, USB and Wi-Fi stacks, ARM-specific OneCore kernel code, and the Windows 10 hardware drivers.
To simply put it, the said files are highly-sensitive and are enough for cyber crooks to explore as they look for security vulnerabilities to exploit.
The Register added that apart from the highly sensitive Shared Source Kit, the data leak also contained the unreleased builds for Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016.
Taking into consideration the sensitivity of the leaked source codes, Beta Archive administrators decided it was for the best to remove the files from their database and said in a statement: "The 'Shared Source Kit' folder did exist on the FTP until [The Register's] article came to light. We have removed it from our FTP and listings pending further review just in case we missed something in our initial release."
The website administrators also said that they currently do not intend to bring back the leaked files but maintained that these would still be placed under review and could be brought back if the findings say "it is deemed acceptable under our rules."
