The first in-depth analysis of the operating system used by computers North Korea reveals spy tools capable of monitoring even the documents executed when the device is offline.
The Red Star operating system was designed to look superficially OS X from Apple, but has hidden features that allow you to mark files and link them to a specific individual.
The tools They were discovered hidden Grunow and Niklaus Florian Schiess, two German researchers who conducted the analysis last month. The researchers reviewed in detail the code of Red Star 3.0, which appeared online a year ago operating system.
According to the BBC said Grunow, system developers “made a very good job “to copy the look of basic design and functionality of the Apple computers.
The above OS North Korea was more like Windows. (Photo: Reuters)
But they put a special added: any file uploaded to the system using a USB or other storage device can be marked disk, allowing you to State follow its path from one machine to another
Red Star may further identify unwanted files and delete them without authorization
-.. A very sophisticated system –
Grunow explains that the function to mark and trace files was designed in response to the proliferation of films and foreign music being shared offline.
“That allows to have a record of when a document was opened for the first time at the Red Star operating system and by whom. It basically allows the state to track the file “he says.
The system will mark the files with numbers individual serial, although it is not known how easy it is for the State to link those numbers serially to a particular user.
“What we have seen is the basic system for marking files, but found no evidence of the existence a widespread mechanism that is much more sophisticated and has a different cryptography “he says.
The experts do not know exactly which computers installed in North Korea its new system operating. (Photo: AFP)
“It could be that the file corresponds to your individual brand and they link it in their registration with you, allowing them to track specific individuals “.
Red Star is set to make nearly impossible for users to modify the system. Attempts to disable your antivirus software or firewall Internet make the system restarts
-. A brand for freedom of expression –
idea of creating an internal operating system was initially conceived as Grunow, Kim Jong-il, who led the country between 1994 and 2011.
“He said North Korea should create its own operating system that’s what we’ve done, “Grunow said.
” If you look at North Korea you see that Red Star is similar to the way the state functions. It is very controlled, they are much focus on integrity system and have mechanisms to track users, “he said.
As with many other things in the most isolated country in the world it is unknown how used in the Red Star system in North Korea. Grunow considered likely to be installed in libraries and other public buildings, where computer use is decided by the state.
Red Star was built using Linux, a free platform and open source can be freely modified by users and it was designed that way to make it as accessible as possible.
So to Grunow is an irony in the use that has given North Korea .
According Grunow, the idea of developing a proprietary operating system was Kim Jong-il’s father, Kim Jong-un. (Photo: Getty)
“They are using a system that was built to promote freedom of expression and use it improperly for marking and tracing freedom of expression” says.
More ironic still is the file name used by Red Star to pursue suspicious files on the machine.
“The file you are and that is used by the system Angae antivirus called. That means mist or fog that obscures something that is not transparent. We have no idea why they chose that name, but it is appropriate, right? “he says.
Source : BBC
No comments:
Post a Comment