How much trouble could this cause?

Election system runs on outdated, vulnerable operating system

There are going to be a lot of special purpose systems running Windows 7 after next January.

Conversation 5 comments

  • Lordbaal

    13 July, 2019 - 6:01 pm

    <p>Your point? It they are not connected, there's no problem. These are even air gapped for the intra-net.</p>

    • AnOldAmigaUser

      Premium Member
      14 July, 2019 - 1:20 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#442361">In reply to Lordbaal:</a></em></blockquote><p>Many of them have open USB connectors. Voting machine manufacturers have never seemed to have a grasp on technology or security, and neither have their customers.</p>

      • waethorn

        14 July, 2019 - 11:25 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#442495">In reply to AnOldAmigaUser:</a></em></blockquote><p>USB can be disabled in software. Or else you can just block UI prompts for accessing the disk upon insertion, or from automatically launching software or other behaviours from it.</p>

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    14 July, 2019 - 4:54 am

    <p>That is the least of the problems. Most of the voting machines have dozens of vulnerabilities, but the voting machine manufacturers try and sue researchers out of existence (DMCA) or they try and put gagging orders on them. They actively try and forbid cities, counties and states from selling their old machines, so that researchers can't get their hands on them.</p><p>Running an old version of Windows doesn't really amount to a hill of beans, compared to the rest of the electronic voting system debacle.</p>

  • waethorn

    14 July, 2019 - 3:50 pm

    <p>Windows 7 will have the option for paid Extended Security Updates for up to another 3 years after the Extended Support Lifecycle end date. Windows Virtual Desktop on Azure, based on Windows 7, will get updates for free. Both options include "support".</p>

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