Backdoor: A Technical Definition
https://www.zdziarski.com/blog/?p=6077 [www.zdziarski.com]
2017-01-13 23:09
In this paper, I present a three-prong test to determine if a mechanism is a backdoor: “intent”, “consent”, and “access”; all three tests must be satisfied in order for a mechanism to meet the definition of a backdoor. This three-prong test may be applied to software, firmware, and even hardware mechanisms in any computing environment that establish a security boundary, either explicitly or implicitly.
The fact that this goes on for about 20 pages suggests we will not soon see an end to misuse of the term.