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Linux Kernel 4.17 saw the inclusion of NSA's 'controversial' encryption algorithm Speck. Linux Kernel 4.18 will see Speck being available as a supported algorithm with fscrypt and not everyone is happy about it.
Before you panic or form wrong conclusions, you should know that Speck is not a backdoor. It's just a not-so-strong encryption algorithm from American agency NSA and it's available as a module in Linux Kernel.
The algorithm in question, Speck, is a 'weak' encryption (lightweight block cipher) designed for devices with low computing powers i.e., IoT devices.
NSA wanted Speck and its companion algorithm Simon to become a global standard for next generation of internet-of-things gizmos and sensors.
NSA tried to aggressively push this algorithm to an extent that some cryptographer alleged bullying and harassment at the hands of NSA.
The problem with the algorithm is that the International Organization of Standards (ISO) rejected Speck and Simon.
Google engineer Eric Biggers requested the inclusion of Speck in Kernel 4.17 because Google is going to provide Speck as an option for dm-crypt and fscrypt on Android.
The focus is on providing encryption on Android Go, an Android version tailored to run on entry-level smartphones. As of today, these devices are not encrypted because AES is not fast enough for the low-end devices.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Friday August 10 2018, @07:16PM (3 children)
SELinux has been around for quite awhile now. Countless people have evaluated it, some quite rigorously, others less so. To date, SELinux has passed muster with just about everyone.
And, all of that has nothing to do with the fact that government in general, and the NSA in particular, abhor privacy and secrecy among the population at large. Privacy and secrecy are only for government, and for a small number of elite individuals.
NSA and other government agencies have done a lot of good things for today's internet and computing - and they've also done plenty of bad things. Asking people to "trust the government" because that government did something good a few years ago seems rather foolish. If the creepy old man gave a bunch of children some candy, would you advise the children to trust the creepy old man?
So, yes, you're right - there IS NSA code in Linux. That is no reason to TRUST the NSA.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday August 10 2018, @07:44PM (1 child)
> SELinux has been around for quite awhile now. Countless people have evaluated it, some quite rigorously,
> others less so. To date, SELinux has passed muster with just about everyone.
Don't you know that the Illuminati Masons - Lizard Branch arranged for all those people to lie to you about the backdoors, a Global Secret Agreement to keep spying on all populations ?
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 10 2018, @08:36PM
Your cheap jab at "conspiracy theorists" is misplaced. Snowden docs proved that "conspiracy theories" about the NSA were not just true, but that reality was worse than some of the wildest speculations.
Are you asserting that underhanded code hidden in something as large and complex as SELinux would be ovious to any serious code auditor?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Joe Desertrat on Friday August 10 2018, @10:29PM
You can also add that corporations like Google and Facebook abhor privacy and secrecy among the population at large. Google, after all, is the one requesting this be included in the Linux kernel so they can implement it in Android.