Xerox Alto zero-day

Linked by Thom Holwerda on Thu 4th Jan 2018 21:54 UTC

We've been archiving a bunch of old Xerox Alto disk packs from the 1970s. A few of them turned out to be password-protected, so I needed to figure out how to get around the password protection. I've developed a way to disable password protection, as well as a program to find the password instantly.

Xerox has failed to respond to this severe security hole in their computer, and every day they refuse to patch this vulnerability is a day their customers run a massive risk. Irresponsible.

10 12 Comment(s)

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You are a very funny guy

by JLF65 on Thu 4th Jan 2018 23:08 UTC

Member since:
2005-07-06

So you're lucky I'm not Arnold. With all the security panics going on with modern systems, a little levity is appreciated.

Reply Permalink Score: 5

RE: You are a very funny guy

by darknexus on Fri 5th Jan 2018 13:20 UTC in reply to "You are a very funny guy"

Member since:
2008-07-15

With all the security panics going on with modern systems, a little levity is appreciated.

Agreed. I needed that today!

Reply Permalink Score: 2

Comment by Licaon_Kter

by Licaon_Kter on Thu 4th Jan 2018 23:43 UTC

Member since:
2010-03-19

Link to the CVE?

:)

Reply Permalink Score: 7

Irresponsible

by MichalKJP on Fri 5th Jan 2018 09:13 UTC

Member since:
2012-07-09

"Xerox has failed to respond to this severe security hole in their computer, and every day they refuse to patch this vulnerability is a day their customers run a massive risk. Irresponsible."

Yes, indeed. I'm sure they will lose a market share because of it.

Reply Permalink Score: 2

Comment by Phloptical

by Phloptical on Fri 5th Jan 2018 12:34 UTC

Member since:
2006-10-10

Is xerox still in business?

Reply Permalink Score: 2

RE: Comment by Phloptical

by The123king on Sat 6th Jan 2018 11:27 UTC in reply to "Comment by Phloptical"

Member since:
2009-05-28

Yes, they carry business supplies and printer paper mostly nowadays

Reply Permalink Score: 1

RE[2]: Comment by Phloptical

by zima on Sun 7th Jan 2018 22:58 UTC in reply to "RE: Comment by Phloptical"

Member since:
2005-07-06

printer paper

Slightly ironic, considering that Xerox Alto was supposed to usher us in the era of paperless office.

Reply Permalink Score: 3

Comments on page are awesome

by Bill Shooter of Bul on Fri 5th Jan 2018 15:08 UTC

Member since:
2006-07-14

Crazy crazy stuff. The engineers from PARC are commenting.

http://www.righto.com/2018/01/xerox-alto-zero-day-cracking-disk.htm...

So sad the PARC isn't what it was.

Reply Permalink Score: 4

RE: Comments on page are awesome

by whartung on Fri 5th Jan 2018 17:22 UTC in reply to "Comments on page are awesome"

Member since:
2005-07-06

Crazy crazy stuff. The engineers from PARC are commenting.

This is a particular gem.

Given the AATFDAFD hint, I'd guess the real password is ADDATADFAD. This derives from a project I did with Jef Raskin at UCSD in 1974. (He mentioned it in this interview.) The Data General Nova we were working with produced some garbled message with ADDATADFAD where it should have said ADDITIONAL, and it was a running joke ever after. Strange, the things that occupy some brain cells for over 40 years.

Just help shows the human side of all this.

Reply Permalink Score: 3

Heh

by uridium on Sun 7th Jan 2018 12:56 UTC