Have you got a good URL that explains exactly what the so-called NSA
key is or does?
See here: http://endswithbeginnings.wordpress.com/tag/nsakey/
(largely reproduced below for your reading pleasure).
See also this: http://cryptome.org/jya/msnsa-ke.htm
Which provides the complete CAPI key, as does this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSAKEY#Secondary_key_.28_NSAKEY_and_KEY2.29
Doing a web-search for some component of that key - for example, the
first line:
mQCPAzfTdH0AAAEEALqOFf7jzRYPtHz5PitNhCYVryPwZZJk2B7cNaJ9OqRQiQoi
gives many hits - not sure which of them (if any) are useful / relavent.
More technical stuff here:
http://blogs.technet.com/b/pki/archive/2009/06/17/what-is-a-strong-key-protection-in-windows.aspx
And on a slight tangent:
http://bsd.slashdot.org/story/10/12/15/004235/fbi-alleged-to-have-backdoored-openbsds-ipsec-stack
Aggrajag and Mortimer.CA, among others, wrote to inform us that
Theo de Raadt has made public an email sent to him by Gregory
Perry, who worked on the OpenBSD crypto framework a decade ago.
The claim is that the FBI paid contractors to insert backdoors
into OpenBSD's IPSEC stack. Mr. Perry is coming forward now that
his NDA with the FBI has expired. The code was originally added
ten years ago, and over that time has changed quite a bit, "so
it is unclear what the true impact of these allegations are" says
Mr. de Raadt. He added: "Since we had the first IPSEC stack
available for free, large parts of the code are now found in many
other projects/products."
The FBI, as it turns out now, seem to be involved in many cases as aids
or agents in terms of getting stuff done for the NSA.
============
http://endswithbeginnings.wordpress.com/tag/nsakey/
Computer security specialists say that the Windows software driver used
for security and encryption functions contains unusual features which
give NSA that backdoor access.
These security specialists have identified the driver as ADVAPI.DLL. It
enables and controls a variety of security functions. These specialists
say that on Windows, it is located at C:\\Windows\system directory of
anyones computer that uses Windows software. Nicko van Someren says
the driver contains two different keys. One was used by Microsoft to
control cryptographic functions in Windows while another initially
remained a mystery.
Then, two weeks ago (circa 1999?) a U.S. security firm concluded that
the second key belonged to NSA. Analysis of the driver revealed that one
was labeled KEY while the other was labeled NSAKEY, according to
sources. The NSA key apparently had been built into the software by
Microsoft, which Microsoft sources dont deny.
This has allowed restricted access to Microsofts source code software
that allows for such programming.
Access to Windows source code is supposed to be highly
compartmentalized, actually making such actions easier because many of
the people working on the software wouldnt see the access.
Such access to the encryption system of Windows can allow NSA to
compromise a persons entire operating system. The NSA keys are said to
be contained inside all versions of Windows from Windows 95 OSR2
onwards.
Having such the secret key inside your Windows operating system makes it
tremendously easier for the NSA to load unauthorized security services
on all copies of Microsoft Windows, and once these security services are
loaded, they can effectively compromise your entire operating system,
according to Andrew Fernandez, chief scientist with Cryptonym
Corporation of North Carolina.
===============
Deeze posted the following to the forum:
From Heise.de
How NSA access was built into Windows
Duncan Campbell 04.09.1999
Careless mistake reveals subversion of Windows by NSA.
A CARELESS mistake by Microsoft programmers has revealed that special
access codes prepared by the US National Security Agency have been
secretly built into Windows. The NSA access system is built into every
version of the Windows operating system now in use, except early
releases of Windows 95 (and its predecessors). The discovery comes
close on the heels of the revelations earlier this year that another US
software giant, Lotus, had built an NSA help information trapdoor into
its Notes system, and that security functions on other software systems
had been deliberately crippled.
The first discovery of the new NSA access system was made two years ago
by British researcher Dr Nicko van Someren. But it was only a few weeks
ago when a second researcher rediscovered the access system. With it,
he found the evidence linking it to NSA.
Computer security specialists have been aware for two years that unusual
features are contained inside a standard Windows software driver used
for security and encryption functions. The driver, called ADVAPI.DLL,
enables and controls a range of security functions. If you use Windows,
you will find it in the C:\Windows\system directory of your computer.
ADVAPI.DLL works closely with Microsoft Internet Explorer, but will only
run cryptographic functions that the US governments allows Microsoft to
export. That information is bad enough news, from a European point of
view. Now, it turns out that ADVAPI will run special programmes inserted
and controlled by NSA. As yet, no-one knows what these programmes are,
or what they do.
Dr Nicko van Someren reported at last years Crypto 98 conference that
he had disassembled the ADVADPI driver. He found it contained two
different keys. One was used by Microsoft to control the cryptographic
functions enabled in Windows, in compliance with US export regulations.
But the reason for building in a second key, or who owned it, remained a
mystery.
A second key
Two weeks ago, a US security company came up with conclusive evidence
that the second key belongs to NSA. Like Dr van Someren, Andrew
Fernandez, chief scientist with Cryptonym of Morrisville, North
Carolina, had been probing the presence and significance of the two
keys. Then he checked the latest Service Pack release for Windows NT4,
Service Pack 5. He found that Microsofts developers had failed to
remove or strip the debugging symbols used to test this software
before they released it. Inside the code were the labels for the two
keys. One was called KEY. The other was called NSAKEY.
Fernandes reported his re-discovery of the two CAPI keys, and their
secret meaning, to Advances in Cryptology, Crypto99? conference held
in Santa Barbara. According to those present at the conference, Windows
developers attending the conference did not deny that the NSA key was
built into their software. But they refused to talk about what the key
did, or why it had been put there without users knowledge.
A third key?!
But according to two witnesses attending the conference, even
Microsofts top crypto programmers were astonished to learn that the
version of ADVAPI.DLL shipping with Windows 2000 contains not two, but
three keys. Brian LaMachia, head of CAPI development at Microsoft was
stunned to learn of these discoveries, by outsiders. The latest
discovery by Dr van Someren is based on advanced search methods which
test and report on the entropy of programming code.
Within the Microsoft organisation, access to Windows source code is said
to be highly compartmentalized, making it easy for modifications to be
inserted without the knowledge of even the respective product managers.
Researchers are divided about whether the NSA key could be intended to
let US government users of Windows run classified cryptosystems on their
machines or whether it is intended to open up anyones and everyones
Windows computer to intelligence gathering techniques deployed by NSAs
burgeoning corps of information warriors.
According to Fernandez of Cryptonym, the result of having the secret key
inside your Windows operating system is that it is tremendously easier
for the NSA to load unauthorized security services on all copies of
Microsoft Windows, and once these security services are loaded, they can
effectively compromise your entire operating system. The NSA key is
contained inside all versions of Windows from Windows 95 OSR2 onwards.
For non-American IT managers relying on Windows NT to operate highly
secure data centres, this find is worrying, he added. The US
government is currently making it as difficult as possible for strong
crypto to be used outside of the US. That they have also installed a
cryptographic back-door in the worlds most abundant operating system
should send a strong message to foreign IT managers. How is an IT
manager to feel when they learn that in every copy of Windows sold,
Microsoft has a back door for NSA making it orders of magnitude
easier for the US government to access your computer? he asked. Can
the loophole be turned round against the snoopers?