Backdoor: Difference between revisions

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A backdoor is a method of covertly bypassing authentication, often in a digital system. A backdoor can be placed intentionally by a party to secretly access the system, or can be the result of a bug or exploit.

A {{Wplink|backdoor_(computing)|backdoor}} is a method of covertly bypassing authentication, often in a digital system. A backdoor can be placed intentionally by a party to secretly access the system, or can be the result of a bug or exploit.

==How it works==

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==Why it is a problem==

Backdoors can be used to inject [[spyware]] in order to collect information on users.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Malwarebytes |title=Backdoor computing attakcs |url=https://www.malwarebytes.com/backdoor |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251229225937/https://www.malwarebytes.com/backdoor |archive-date=29 Dec 2025}}</ref>

Backdoors can be used to inject [[spyware]] in order to collect information on users.

<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Malwarebytes |title=Backdoor computing attakcs |url=https://www.malwarebytes.com/backdoor |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251229225937/https://www.malwarebytes.com/backdoor |archive-date=29 Dec 2025}}</ref> Backdoors are dangerous as they can be both officially implanted by project maintainers for various reasons or implanted by unofficial code contributors or distributors.

==Examples==

*[[Apple ~~backdoor~~ UK ~~lawsuit]]~~

===Apple Backdoor UK Lawsuit===

*[[SecuRam installs backdoor on ProLogic series safe locks]]

===SecuRam Backdoor===

===Signal’s Refusal to Implement Australian Government Backdoor===

[[wikipedia:Signal_(software)|Signal]], an encrypted messenger, has threatened to leave Australia to due the Australian Government’s mandate to have access over the contents of Signal’s messages.<ref> https://ia.acs.org.au/article/2025/signal-threatens-to-leave-australia-over-govt-s-backdoor-push.html</ref><ref> https://www.vice.com/en/article/signal-app-australia-encryption-backdoor-bill/</ref> While this is not an example of a backdoor, this is an example of how governments can demand that platforms implement malicious backdoors.

===XZ Utils Backdoor===

The [[wikipedia:XZ_Utils_backdoor|XZ Utils backdoor]] was a code contribution to the XZ Utilities Linux system package that allowed remote code execution through a specific SSH key.<ref> https://gist.github.com/thesamesam/223949d5a074ebc3dce9ee78baad9e27</ref> This backdoor was significant as it went against the previously commonly held belief of open source software security through independent code auditing. The code contributor first had built trust with the maintainers by submitting legitimate code initially before implementing the backdoor in a subtle way through multiple layers to avoid suspicion. However this backdoor was discovered by Andres Freund.<ref> https://lwn.net/Articles/967180/</ref>

==References==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-A backdoor is a method of covertly bypassing authentication, often in a digital system. A backdoor can be placed intentionally by a party to secretly access the system, or can be the result of a bug or exploit.
+A {{Wplink|backdoor_(computing)|backdoor}} is a method of covertly bypassing authentication, often in a digital system. A backdoor can be placed intentionally by a party to secretly access the system, or can be the result of a bug or exploit.
 ==How it works==
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 ==Why it is a problem==
-Backdoors can be used to inject [[spyware]] in order to collect information on users.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Malwarebytes |title=Backdoor computing attakcs |url=https://www.malwarebytes.com/backdoor |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251229225937/https://www.malwarebytes.com/backdoor |archive-date=29 Dec 2025}}</ref>
+Backdoors can be used to inject [[spyware]] in order to collect information on users.
+<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Malwarebytes |title=Backdoor computing attakcs |url=https://www.malwarebytes.com/backdoor |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251229225937/https://www.malwarebytes.com/backdoor |archive-date=29 Dec 2025}}</ref> Backdoors are dangerous as they can be both officially implanted by project maintainers for various reasons or implanted by unofficial code contributors or distributors.
 ==Examples==
-*[[Apple backdoor UK lawsuit]]
+===Apple Backdoor UK Lawsuit===
-*[[SecuRam installs backdoor on ProLogic series safe locks]]
+===SecuRam Backdoor===
+{{Main|SecuRam installs backdoor on ProLogic series safe locks}}
+===Signal’s Refusal to Implement Australian Government Backdoor===
+[[wikipedia:Signal_(software)|Signal]], an encrypted messenger, has threatened to leave Australia to due the Australian Government’s mandate to have access over the contents of Signal’s messages.<ref> https://ia.acs.org.au/article/2025/signal-threatens-to-leave-australia-over-govt-s-backdoor-push.html</ref><ref> https://www.vice.com/en/article/signal-app-australia-encryption-backdoor-bill/</ref> While this is not an example of a backdoor, this is an example of how governments can demand that platforms implement malicious backdoors.
+===XZ Utils Backdoor===
+The [[wikipedia:XZ_Utils_backdoor|XZ Utils backdoor]] was a code contribution to the XZ Utilities Linux system package that allowed remote code execution through a specific SSH key.<ref> https://gist.github.com/thesamesam/223949d5a074ebc3dce9ee78baad9e27</ref> This backdoor was significant as it went against the previously commonly held belief of open source software security through independent code auditing. The code contributor first had built trust with the maintainers by submitting legitimate code initially before implementing the backdoor in a subtle way through multiple layers to avoid suspicion. However this backdoor was discovered by Andres Freund.<ref> https://lwn.net/Articles/967180/</ref>
 ==References==