by ChuangTzu » May 8th, '15, 17:41
Even though this is very possible. It is unlikely given a few factors: 1) the nature of open source projects makes it harder, not impossible, to hide so called back doors. Much easier in proprietary software/devices etc... 2) Most government computers in the US are powered by Linux as well as their servers, in particular RedHat/CentOS and if you can believe Ubuntu, openSUSE and SUSE is also beginning to move into the US Gov. and business market. I believe the USPS uses SUSE. This makes backdoors unlikely, since most backdoors swing both ways for people who have the knowledge. It would be much easier for NSA to just put the "backdoor" into the harddrive on a manufactures level, or into the WIFI etc..., would also be harder to detect. But keep in mind that they are not likely to screw up the very systems they rely on. Now Microsoft, Apple, Google etc... that is another topic, because there is little incentive for them not to exploit it. Especially since most people use one or more of those systems.
Now, even after saying this, I do think a healthy skeptism towards SELinux is a good thing and the code of anything contributed by the gov. or even the big companies for that matter should be thouroghly and independently reviewed.