backdoor

American  

[bak-dawr] / ˈbækˈdɔr /

noun

1. a door at the rear of a house, building, etc..

   Fans were waiting by the backdoor of the theater, hoping to catch a glimpse of the band.

2. a secret, furtive, or illicit manner or means.

   The business has a backdoor through which the board of directors can access slush fund money.

3. an indirect manner or means.

   Marriage counseling was a kind of backdoor into therapy, where I finally faced my dysfunctional relationship with my mother.

4. Computers. a secret access point or undocumented vulnerability in a software program, hardware component, or digital network, sometimes intentionally maintained as for remote developer access, but also sometimes created or exploited for unauthorized access by hackers.

   If half of all devices have disclosed backdoors, cybersecurity experts must assume that the number of devices affected by undisclosed or malicious backdoors is much higher.

5. Slang: Usually Vulgar. anus.

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adjective

1. secret; furtive; illicit.

   Special interests pushed through a backdoor contract before the bidding period had expired.

2. indirect.

   The immigration reform bill included backdoor amnesty for employed undocumented residents.

3. Computers. relating to, using, or noting an indirect access point into a network, computer, or program.

   Hackers used a Trojan horse to establish backdoor access to the mainframe.

4. Slang: Vulgar. anal.

Etymology

Origin of backdoor

First recorded in 1520–30; back ¹ ( def. ) + door

Example Sentences

She went on to raise a series of concerns including "inadequate benefit levels" and "backdoor taxation for social care support".

From BBC

The new laws were passed by the ruling Labor Party after weeks of tense backdoor negotiations with the Greens, who said they had secured "significant wins to protect forests".

From Barron's

But it was Wales who reacted best, Rogers scooping up a Dan Edwards pass out of the backdoor to cross for a five pointer the outside-half also converted.

From Barron's

“During their relationship, Schmidt confided that when he worked at Google, he built an insider “backdoor” to Google servers with a team of Google engineers in order to spy on Google employees.

From Los Angeles Times

I will be starting a backdoor Roth for my wife this year and continue to contribute mine.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• classified
• covert
• furtive
• hush-hush
• mysterious
• obscure
• private
• secluded
• undercover
• underground
• undisclosed
• unknown
• unpublished