The glitch, reported Monday by people attempting to download the software and confirmed by CNET News.com, underscores ongoing problems Microsoft has encountered in delivering preview versions of the new operating system to more than 100,000 testers. Those people paid between US$10 and US$20 for the right to get the software.
Microsoft launched the Windows XP Preview Program on July 2 and ran into trouble right away. A problem discovered during the first week of the program created a back door that allowed free downloads of Windows XP for about 30 hours before it was patched.
The timing isn't exactly good for Conxion either. Delivery of the Windows XP preview is the first time the company has had exclusive responsibility for distributing Microsoft software. Though Conxion has been Microsoft's preferred provider for about five years, the software maker previously operated some of the servers involved in the delivery process.
"In the last 24 hours, unauthorised users exploited a vulnerability in the servers distributing the downloads of the (Windows) XP Release Candidate 1," said Conxion spokeswoman Megan O'Reilly. "The vulnerability, which consisted of an inconsistency in filtering user access, has been removed as of 12:30 p.m. PDT." O'Reilly said the glitch did not affect those making legitimate downloads. Conxion has not yet tabulated the number of illegal downloads.
"This private beta of Windows XP...has turned into a worldwide beta, apparently," said Donny Kavanagh, a Windows XP tester from Ottawa. "Now either Microsoft or Conxion, depending on who configures the servers, are having a hard time keeping it out of the hands of anyone with a Web browser."
The preview program is viewed as an important first step in getting Windows XP ready for its October 25 launch. Previewers receive Windows XP Release Candidate 1 either by download or on a CD, paying US$10 or US$20, respectively. Release candidates are near-final versions of software before it is released to manufacturing and PC makers.
Typically those choosing the download option receive an email from Conxion with a username, password and download instructions. The Windows XP previewer then links to a Web page where he or she inputs this information and retrieves Conxion's Digital Delivery Manager 2.1 software used for downloading Windows XP.
But CNET News.com successfully downloaded Windows XP Release Candidate 1 using a standard Web browser without the need for a username, password or the download manager software.
Still, downloading the release candidate doesn't guarantee it can be installed. Official beta testers, or those paying for the preview release, receive a 25-key code for installing the software. More importantly, Windows XP's activation technology requires people to connect to Microsoft servers to "lock" the software to the hardware.
"Unauthorised users who downloaded this distribution still require an authentication key to activate the software," O'Reilly said. "That key is only legally available to authorised users who register and pay for the software."
But several "cracks" -- or software code circumventing the activation technology -- are available on Internet newsgroups.
"This shows that Microsoft has some more work to do shoring up its activation technology, which is to fight piracy," said Gartner analyst Michael Silver. "If it doesn't fight piracy, it inconveniences honest users."
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