Red Star OS (붉은별 in Korean.) is an operating system that is considered to be North Korea’s Linux distribution. As you may know in the Hermit Kingdom, EVERYTHING is monitored. Including your activity online. For example, in North Korea, the App Store is a literal store where you purchase or download applications on a computer or phone. A technician there installs a government-approved application through an external media device such as an SD Card or USB stick that has the files necessary. According to several resources on the internet and videos on YouTube, it seems that Red Star OS’ first version was possibly created in 2008, and has a fair resemblance to Windows XP. Prior to its release, computers in North Korea used Red Hat Linux. Since Red Star OS is what’s used in North Korea, it has North Korean spelling and terminology. In this article, we’ll go over the specifications of Red Star OS. Such as the software installed, the different versions available, and the potential security risks that come with using Red Star OS.
Red Star’s Internet Browser & ISP.
North Korea’s Red Star OS features a modified version of Mozilla Firefox called Naenara. Which translates to “my country.” This is used for browsing the Naenara web portal on North Korea’s national intranet, Kwangmyong. Which translates to “bright light.” Kwangmyong also comes with two search engines. One confirmed Search Engine is Google Korea, which is the default Search Engine. As well as what is believed to be a built-in search engine by Naenara. While going into depth, it turns out that Naenara was developed by the Korea Computer Center which states on its web page that it seeks to develop Linux-based software for use. The reason for this is due to licensing and security concerns from Microsoft. Naenara can be used to browse approximately 1,000 to 5,500 websites in the national Kwangmyong intranet. When Naenara is run, it tries to contact an IP address. When entering this IP address on the internet, it most notably begins with “http://” rather than “https://” While these are technically the same, HTTPS is encrypted. HTTPS uses TLS (SSL) to encrypt normal HTTP requests and responses and to digitally sign those requests and responses. As a result, HTTPS is far more secure than HTTP. As a result, HTTP traffic can easily be reviewed and intercepted. An example of this is HTTP Toolkit. HTTP Toolkit is an open-source proxy that allows you to intercept HTTP & HTTPS traffic from almost any HTTP client. Once you’re intercepting traffic from a client, you can explore and examine it to understand what it’s doing or rewrite it to provide mock responses, inject errors, and test edge cases. With that information, it’s not a surprise that North Korea uses HTTP protocols.
It should be obvious that Naenara cannot access the World Wide Web. (www) But interestingly enough, standard browsers such as Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge can access North Korean websites with a VPN. North Korean websites can be defined by their basic URLs ending in “.kp” along with co.kp, com.kp, edu.kp, gov.kp, net.kp, org.kp, and rep.kp. In order to receive internet in North Korea, North Koreans must first obtain permission from the government. Typically, access to Kwangmyong is granted to government officials, academics, and other professionals who are deemed to have a legitimate need for the network’s services. To obtain access, individuals must submit an application to the government, which is then reviewed and approved by a government committee. Once approved, the individual is provided with a username and password similar to an enterprise OS or portal. These credentials then can be used to access the Kwangmyong network. While Kwangmyong may provide North Koreans with access to certain online services and information, it is only accessible to select individuals who are deemed to be trustworthy by the government.
Word Processor in Red Star OS.
Red Star OS includes a basic word processor program that is similar to other editors found on Unix-like systems. The Red Star OS Word Processor supports basic editing operations such as inserting, deleting, and copying text. It also includes features such as undo and redo, find and replace, and the ability to run external commands from within the editor. While the Red Star OS Word Processor may not be as feature-rich as some other popular text editors, it provides a basic set of editing tools that are sufficient for most basic text editing tasks. It is also believed to be North Korea’s Office Suite that’s included. Given North Korea’s history of surveillance and control over its citizens and media, it is possible that this Word Processor, like other parts of the operating system, may be designed to monitor user activity. It is also possible that the text editor may have backdoors or other vulnerabilities that could be exploited to spy on users. Such as a simple key logger.
Different Versions of Red Star OS.
Red Star OS has had several versions released over the years. The earliest version was released in 2002, and subsequent versions were released in 2006, 2010, and 2013 with version 3.0. The development of Red Star OS started back in 1998. Each version of Red Star OS has had its own unique user interface, with changes made to reflect the evolving design trends and technologies of the time. For example, earlier versions of Red Star OS had a more basic UI, with simple icons and menus. However, more recent versions have adopted a more modern and sleek look, with a more polished user interface and supposedly higher-resolution graphics. Additionally, newer versions of Red Star OS have added more features and functionality, such as improved security, support for multimedia playback, and video games. While the basic design of Red Star OS has remained largely the same over the years, its UI has evolved to keep up with the changing needs. Version 3.0 was released in the summer of 2013, but as of 2014, version 1.0 continues to be more widely used. It is offered only in a Korean language edition, localized with North Korean expressions and spelling. That information might be irrelevant now considering it’s almost been a decade since then, but North Korea is a secluded nation where making an effort to make sense of something is difficult.
The operating system utilizes customized versions of KDE Software Compilation. Earlier versions had KDE 3-based desktops. Version 3.0 closely resembles Apple’s macOS, whereas previous versions more closely resembled Windows XP. Current North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was seen with an iMac on his desk in a 2013 photo, indicating a possible connection to the redesign.
The applications on Red Star OS 3 monitor its users. If a user tries to disable security functions, an error message will appear on the computer, or the operating system will crash and reboot. In addition, a watermarking tool integrated into the system marks all media content with the hard drive’s serial number, allowing North Korean authorities to trace the spread of files. The system also has hidden “anti-virus” software that is capable of removing censored files that are remotely stored by the North Korean secret service. There is a user group called “administrator” in the operating system. Users do not have root access by default, but are able to elevate their privileges to root by running a built-in utility called “rootsetting”. However, provisions are made in kernel modules to deny even root users access to certain files, and extensive system integrity checks are done at boot time to ensure these files have not been modified.
Red Star’s e-mail Client.
The e-mail client in Red Star OS is designed to allow users to send and receive e-mails within the confines of the operating system. The client is integrated into the operating system’s default web browser. The e-mail client supports standard e-mail protocols such as POP3, SMTP, and IMAP, allowing users to connect to external e-mail servers and services. However, the client is primarily designed to work with the country’s own e-mail service, which is provided by the government-controlled ISP, the Korean Computer Center. To use the e-mail client, users must first register for an e-mail account with the Korean Computer Center, which is typically only available to citizens of North Korea. Once registered, users can access their e-mail account through the Red Star OS web browser, which provides a simple and easy-to-use interface for managing e-mails. The e-mail client also includes basic features such as the ability to compose, reply to, and forward e-mails, as well as the ability to manage folders and search for messages. However, as with other parts of Red Star OS, the e-mail client may be monitored and subject to government surveillance.
While we’re nowhere near understanding the fundamentals of Red Star v.4.0, it’s simply a struggle between manufacturing companies and end-users wanting to understand what’s happening in the backdoor. But that applies to almost any device. There are very few requirements, in order to download Red Star OS, compared to other operating systems. Free space for the OS is only 3GB, while the internal memory is just 256MB. There are numerous videos online of people using Red Star OS. A notable one is from Vinesauce Joel, who’s known for destroying virtual machines such as Windows XP, 98, Vista, 8, and 10. There’s also a video of a scammer remotely connecting to Red Star OS without having that he’s on North Korea’s custom operating system. If you’d like to learn more about Red Star OS, feel free to review the pages online. If Red Star OS wasn’t leaked, we wouldn’t be aware of what very few North Koreans use.
