Crack Windows XP With... Windows 2000

Posted by timothy on Saturday February 15, 2003 @10:27AM from the if-you're-sitting-at-the-machine-anyhow dept.

An anonymous reader writes "According to this story seen on Brian's Buzz on Windows, access to a Windows 2000 CD is all that is needed to bypass all (well, most) Windows XP security features. An attacker can boot up XP and start the Windows 2000 Recovery Console which allows them to operate as any user, even Administrator, without requiring them to enter a password. This method even allows someone to copy files to removable media, something which normally the Administrator can't even do in the Recovery Console."

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Silly Microsoft by goldid · 2003-02-15 10:30 · Score: 5, Interesting

I have to agree with Microsoft that if the bad guys have physical access to your computer you have some serious problems. however, let's note this scenario.

1. Important computer. Locked down
2. Bad employee, always has to computer for job.
3. Employee "works late" one night
4. Employee brings in Win2K CD
5. Employee hickjacks data to floppy unlogged
6. Employee blackmails company or other bad thigns

I am just amazed that what was secure in 2000 is less secure in XP.

Good ol', silly Microsoft.