The source code of several Windows versions is said to have been published on the 4Chan imageboard.
Windows XP is already around 20 years old, but is still used in some cases on computers today. A person claims to have published the source code of Windows XP SP1 and other Windows versions on the 4Chan imageboard. The reports from the online magazines Gizmodo and Bleepingcomputer.
“Sooooo Windows XP source code leaked,” the person posted on 4Chan. In addition, a screenshot showing the source code in front of the iconic Windows XP background image is displayed, writes Gizmodo. In addition, two torrent links that refer to the archives with the source code are said to have been shared.
It is difficult to say whether the source code it contains is really authentic. Gizmodo refers to the researcher Ronin Dey, who commented on the code after a first inspection with: “Looks pretty real”. In addition to Windows XP, the archives should contain Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000, Windows NT 3.5 and 4, Windows Embedded 7 and CE, Windows CE 3 to 5, MS DOS 3.30 and 6.0. According to Bleepingcomputer, an archive also contains a collection of bizarre conspiracy videos about Bill Gates.
The person behind the leaks claims that the Windows XP source code has been circulating in hacking circles for years, but has not yet been published. It took two months to compile the source code for the various Windows versions. This comprises a total of around 43 GB.
In May, the source code of the original Xbox kernel from 2001 was apparently leaked. This should contain part of the Windows NT 3.5 kernel. In August, a roughly 20 GB archive with confidential data was published by Intel. This includes chipset designs and source code.