Built-in Vista probing tools exposed

[praka123]

Built-in Vista probing tools exposed

Author: Tim Smalley
Published: 3rd Jul 2007
Softpedia has exposed more than 60 Windows Vista features and services that collect data - only 20 of them are fully disclosed in the Windows Vista Privacy Statement.

A report on Softpedia has revealed more than 20 different Vista features and services that harvest user data for Microsoft and (dare I say it) to the software giant's credit, it makes no secret about the fact Windows Vista is gathering information.

Whether or not the data harvesting is right, Microsoft provides both a Windows Vista Privacy Statement and there are also references to the data collection services in the End User License Agreement (PDF) that you agree to when you are installing the operating system.

However, what's disappointing is the fact that Microsoft has admitted that the list provided under the Windows Vista Privacy Statement is far from exhaustive. Indeed, Softpedia says that there are another 47 Windows Vista features and services that collect data. Not all of these phone home, but the report claims that around 50 percent of these items do contact Microsoft.

There is no indication of what actually happens to the data collected by Microsoft via Windows Vista but, based on two excerpts from the Windows Vista Privacy Statement, the software giant is in two minds as to how it'll use the data collected from your machine.

Almost right at the start of the Privacy statement, Microsoft says that it will not use the information it gathers to identify Windows Vista users, but just a couple of paragraphs further down the statement, the company reveals that it can use the data it collects against you if it wanted to, or was forced to.

You can read a full breakdown of the services Microsoft is using to collect data on end users here. Our best advice is that if you don't want your data sent to Microsoft, don't install Windows Vista.
source:
*www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/07/03/built-in_vista_probing_tools_exposed/1
another thread showing US gov may be using vista(DRM) to spy:
United States Government Online Watchdogs?, part of the war on terror?
A site showing potential Vista spying was taken down by you-know-who

14 August 2007 - 23:58 GMT

With the industry and those in it so seemingly hostile to Whitedust, and
pure apathy from anyone who thinks otherwise. Why bother. This site is
now closed permanently. It's staff have abandoned the scene and the industry
for real world projects - for good, you won't be seeing us again. You "Won".

Good luck out there. You'll need it.

-The Staff

*www.whitedust.net/?_Part_of_the_war_on_terror?.../
another:
*www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=41167
No reason for M$ fanboys to create havoc.let the reality be out.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
a wallpaper for u windows fanboys-
*badwindowsvista.com/?q=system/files/images/vistalinux.preview.jpg

 

[gxsaurav]

Well, I m not worried, I don't have anything to hide here. And why not install Windows Vista?

 

[freshseasons]

Running a US/UK Call center i have leads( Customer Data of Telephone numbers),their Credit card numbers which they gave out.
Also running a Medical Transcription business , i have tons of data on Patients complete medial records.
I dont know but i am seriously considering whether to run Vista and jeopardize all the sensitive data.Not to forget all the non-disclosure agreements i have signed.
I hope this isnt true.

 

[topgear]

thanks praka123

Very informative & nice find.

Personal Opinion : Vista users have 100% right to know what M$ collects from them.

 

[koolbluez]

^^ i agree... but no problemo here.. legal

My only grudge... it would suck my mb limits

Need to research on these services & try offin them....


Hey.. won't a firewall warn us when these Vista services try to call up the mother-ship

 

[sakumar79]

^^Not if the programs send it through IE (which in most cases people allow to send data), though if you use a non-IE based browser and see IE sending packets, you will have a vague fear something is going on...

Arun

 

[koolbluez]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I forgot that I've IE I'm a FireFoxer to the core
If IE contacts MS.. it'll open the site @least... so a firewall(not WinDefender ) safely protects ur illegal windows?

 

[Choto Cheeta]

some serious note...

Microsoft is collecting data... OK... possible...

but for that they would need use My Internet connection... OK.. Possible...

now I can use one 3rd party software (Filewall) to stop happening that... OK.. may be possible may not be as MS can use certain know service do smugle the data out...

But I am using Vista now for a long time... un-like many I am not a huge bandwidth eater I can almost count ervy MB where I spent... in that respect I dont see my data usage going high... !!! so how much Data is MS collecting ?? and if collecting then by which medium they are collecting ??

 

[Harvik780]

Well its funny cause i use windows vista for downloading at night and leave the os running for full 5:45 minutes.I should rethink of my use of vista.And i have learned over by googling that there's a bios emulation tool's totally new version considering the older one.As i have read,it says that the new tool is extremely user friendly and writes itself to the master boot record for loading before the os multi-boot selection menu appears,ie. its not loaded by the os itself but after the post.

 

[lalam]

Wheee even the articles are withdrawn with the first having being closed. WTF! So what does this really mean that they collect everything you do with your pc and also your net surfing nature on like what u download where you go and all. If yes then i won't be installing vista at all. SUCKS BIGTIME! WTF! (Again)

 

[sakumar79]

@koolbluez, I have used VB programming wherein it is actually possible to send a url to IE and get back info without IE visibly opening in Windows (you will see in Task manager that IE is using resources, but IE wont come up on the taskbar...)

Arun

 

[koolbluez]

that doesnt answer my query on firewalls detecting a transmission... ie'll still b caught by the firewall...
Try it.. with zone alarm or comodo...

 

[freshseasons]

some serious note...

Microsoft is collecting data... OK... possible...

but for that they would need use My Internet connection... OK.. Possible...

now I can use one 3rd party software (Filewall) to stop happening that... OK.. may be possible may not be as MS can use certain know service do smugle the data out...

But I am using Vista now for a long time... un-like many I am not a huge bandwidth eater I can almost count ervy MB where I spent... in that respect I dont see my data usage going high... !!! so how much Data is MS collecting ?? and if collecting then by which medium they are collecting ??

A few KB of data is enough to let out your worst privacy.
1000 Contacts and Sensitive data, like the sites you visited,etc stored on your PC doesnt take more than 100Kb.
Now you can imagine...!

 

[Choto Cheeta]

A few KB of data is enough to let out your worst privacy.
1000 Contacts and Sensitive data, like the sites you visited,etc stored on your PC doesnt take more than 100Kb.
Now you can imagine...!

Once agian... Say MS got My 1000 Contacts... so ?? what are the use of those contacts ?? even if I am one business man still, what are the use ??

Once again even I am visiting so nasty web sites... So ??

There are really some hand full of Poeple in the world in whom MS would be intersted to see their Records !!!

Yes one thing is can heart thats your Credit Card details... !!! but again as one Company thats not Important to them !!!

 

[din]

@Choto Cheeta

Sorry but Privacy is very important and if you think collecting data is not a big deal, hmm, prefer to disagree.

And of course - No surprises I mean regarding this news.

We all know what Win XP was doing first when we connect to internet !!! lol

.

 

[Choto Cheeta]

@Choto Cheeta

Sorry but Privacy is very important and if you think collecting data is not a big deal, hmm, prefer to disagree.

No no, u didnt get my point... !!! Privacy is important... no question on it... what i was tried to figure out is really whats the value of stuff which we store in our computer to a company like MS...

 

[topgear]

As Far As I Know M$ (Massive SH|T) Collects:

1. Bios Checksum Number, Manufacturer, version & date
2. Mac Adress
3. S/N of HDD
4. OS Language & OS Version
5. Local Settings of user
6. Validation & product ID related datas
7. IP Address
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beside those:

ALERT!

After running Vista for only a few days - with a complete love for the new platform
the first sign of trouble erupted. I began noticing latency on my home network connection
- so I booted my port sniffing software and networking tools to see what was happening.
What I found was foundation shaking. The two images below show graphical depictions of
what has and IS trying to connect to my computer even in
an idle state;

NOTE;
DoD Network Information Center(Department of Defense)

United Nations Development Program(Seems to correlate to the parent branch of the U.N.
InformaticsDivision)

Halliburton Company(We all know these guys)

There have been many other unwarranted connections that I thought too redundant to post
images for. To list a couple;

*Ministry of Defense Data Return Agent

*DOHS-Recon(traceroutes for this address provided nothing, suspected blocks on traceroute.
Many of us who are monitoring this situation have suspected the acronym stands for the
Department of Homeland Security*Reconnaissance?*. This is merely a guess, but an educated
one at that.)


I ran traceroutes on the IP's, and sure enough they came back legit and government owned.
I thought this might be exclusive to my system, so I ran over to a friend of mine who
upgraded to Vista when it first became available(MICROSOFT FAN BOY! ;P ). After
installing monitoring software on his system, the hits it caught on his network were
immediate and almost identical in source. Attempts on both TCP and UDP by suspicious
government owned addresses. Again, even when idle and running only a bare minimum of
system processes. I've written a college report on the same phenomenon, which has gained
considerable attention by even my instructor. I've posted similar articles on a few tech
sites and the like that I frequent more often than this bored, and there are a number of
Vista users who have replied with similar claims.

Is there anyone in the abandonia community with a US based connection who is experiencing
this watchdog behavior? Are any foreign Vista users experiencing similar attacks from
their own countries ministries and governing agencies?

Source : *www.abandonia.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=15364&st=0

 

[i_am_crack]

Man.. this is so ground shocking....all these days i was under impression...my system is passworded and no one can log in to gain access

 

[praka123]

Afterall Vista is from USA-they can spy on other countries military systems...etc no wonder china hates microsoft.

 

[axxo]

Afterall Vista is from USA-they can spy on other countries military systems...etc no wonder china hates microsoft.

only for the last few days I feel that am really settled with vista....now I should really think about going back to xp soon...