Sorry for the lack of
Sorry for the lack of updates over the last few days...I was purposely
out of range of my computer for three straight days. Anyways, nice to be
back....
Slashdot is running an interesting
essay entitled "Exploiting design
flaws in the Win32 API for privilege escalation. Or...Shatter Attacks -
How to break Windows."
As the paper states, "The flaws presented in this paper are, at the time
of writing, unfixable. The only reliable solution to these attacks
requires functionality that is not present in Windows, as well as
efforts on the part of every single Windows software vendor. This
research was sparked by comments made by Microsoft VP Jim Allchin who
stated, under oath, that there were flaws in Windows so great that they
would threaten national security if the Windows source code were to be
disclosed. He mentioned Message Queueing, and immediately regretted it.
However, given the quantity of research currently taking place around
the world after Mr Allchin's comments, it is about time the white hat ?
community saw what is actually possible."
Microsoft's
response?
"...if I understand things correctly, the attack you describe either
requires the user to run an attacker's program on their system or the
attacker needs to have access to the user's system. I would recommend
that you contact the program's owner and let them know of your report.
There may or may not be a vulnerability for them to address, but the
program's owner should determine that."
It makes me wonder whether or not there is any connection between the
publication of this note and Microsoft's recent
move to release their source and API's prior to the formal final
settlement approval or if its just a coincidence. Presumably, issuing
API and source documentation that refutes this protects the "integrity"
of the product...if it's a coincidence and Chris is right, then the
Windows world is in for a whole mess of trouble...
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