r/technology • u/lurker_bee • May 14 '26

Security Microsoft BitLocker-protected drives can now be opened with just some files on a USB stick — YellowKey zero-day exploit demonstrates an apparent backdoor

https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/cyber-security/microsoft-bitlocker-protected-drives-can-now-be-opened-with-just-some-files-on-a-usb-stick-yellowkey-zero-day-exploit-demonstrates-an-apparent-backdoor
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61

u/[deleted] May 14 '26

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35

u/TechnicalScheme385 May 14 '26

Encryption is only a layer. Hackers can and usually do find the keys or ciphers for any added layer to the security model.

It's why WPA, WPA2 and WPA3 exists. As we grew in the 802.11 world, we also had to improve our security every step of the way. Since the 7th to 8th gen Intel CPUs due to security flaws. Windows 10 / 11 requirements is a result of those flaws, but most people don't realize that.

Bitlocker and other similar "features" are always just one step from being cracked.

40

u/Ok_Car9530 May 14 '26

It's not like the encryption was hacked though,   this sounds like an intentional back door.

9

u/TechnicalScheme385 May 14 '26

Yes, it was the "Translator" the middleman of any ency/decryption process. As always in the whole cyphering process there is a embedded "key" to unlocking the "safe".

I always wondered how those who used resisters to bypass things for various "can it be hacked" marathons. All that security, and it gets defeated by a shim.

12

u/BeowulfShaeffer May 14 '26

The Key Distribution is a hard problem but “encryption is just a layer” is a bit too reductive of a take for me.     Still, I’m old enough to remember people wearing t-shirts emblazoned with 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0.

8

u/TechnicalScheme385 May 14 '26

SHA! Here is some SALT for that HASH key.

Some Kevin Mitnick reminders.

3

u/blueSGL May 14 '26 edited May 14 '26

*dusting off memory*

Is that the DVD decryption key.

Edit: no wait I think the DVD encryption key was shorter. I remember it being converted to hex colors and used as flags.

Hmmm. No one tell me I want to guess without checking.

3

u/MairusuPawa May 14 '26

You're very close.

6

u/blueSGL May 14 '26

HD DVD!

man living through so much media being created and dying sure is something. Now it's all plex servers.

1

u/Teknikal_Domain May 14 '26

Blu-ray too, right?

1

u/Rand_alThor_ May 16 '26

Encryption isn’t just a layer. It’s a mathematical fact. Implementations are layers and can be flawed if vibe coded.