back to article MS virtualisation bug dodges defences

A newly discovered flaw in Microsoft's virtualisation technologies creates a potential mechanism for hackers to sidestep security defences. The unpatched vulnerability creates a possible route around security threat mitigation technologies such as Data Execution Prevention (DEP), Safe Exception Handlers (SafeSEH) and Address …

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  1. ElReg!comments!Pierre
    Coat

    "exploit security vulnerabilities already present on the system"

    Why, of course it does. Windows needs to be already present on the system after all.

  2. amanfromMars 1 Silver badge
    Grenade

    Suicidal Semantics? Microsoft Death Wish? SPun Tale in a Tailspin?

    "Redmond, by contrast, argues the alleged bug discovered by Core only offers a mechanism to "exploit security vulnerabilities already present on the system, rather than an actual vulnerability", security blogger Ryan Nardine reports."

    Crikey, that is an even worse state of affairs in Microsoft than has ever been before imagined or admitted, for it tells us that it is a Systemic Abiding Fault in a Field they are Pioneering, which it is, of course.

    How much would a Systemic Abiding Fault Fix be Worth, as opposed to them having to Invent a whole new Operating System for the Windows Platform?

    And another question would be can be earned with those who would see advantage in using the mechanism, which if it is not a vulnerability, would then surely be a facility?

    1. amanfromMars 1 Silver badge

      Oops Sorry, Possums ..... More questions to be answered

      "And another question would be can be earned with those who would see advantage in using the mechanism, which if it is not a vulnerability, would then surely be a facility?" ...... And another question would be, can much more be earned with those who would see advantage in using the mechanism, which if it is not a vulnerability, would then surely be a facility, and would that be in AI a Perfectly Legitimate Private Pirate Activity ........ for whenever Advanced and/or Artificial would IT not be Presently Real and therefore Beyond Current Censure and Command and Control.

      Please not that the Questions are Posed in a Phormal Statement and thus would Clearly Indicate an Accepted and Acceptable Definitive Positive Decision on such AIMatters?

  3. Russell Howe
    Thumb Down

    MS response

    Seems to basically say "XP Mode is a hack, we don't really advise using it unless you need to and even then you should look to stop using it as soon as is practical. Oh, and look - kittens!"

    OK, so technically maybe it's not an exploit, but it sure sounds like a way of bypassing security features, which counts as an exploit against those features in my book. Whether or not it directly allows you to compromise a system, there is still functionality being bypassed that one assumes was designed to not be.

    I'd be willing to bet that full on 100% of network applications which are too old and creaky to run on Windows 7 and therefore rely on XP mode are vulnerable as a very vulnerable thing, so saying "it only lets you exploit exploitable XP apps" is a bit of a null statement.

  4. Tom Mason
    WTF?

    Yawn

    Must be a slow news day.

    MS are right. This is not a security vulnerability because the features that can be worked around are only mitigations, not barriers. Anyone who is relying on these features to maintain security must be out of their minds, not least because they don't exist on XP pre SP3 or on Mac, and only partly on linux. If anyone has ever said "oh I've found this bug in my code, but it's not exploitable on XP SP3 or later because of DEP, SafeSEH and ASLR" deserves to have their bottoms slapped.

    I mean, sure, it's a bug in VPC, no doubt, but there's no need to panic. This will not cause the end of the world, or even minor earthquakes. In fact we'll probably never hear of it again.

  5. amanfromMars 1 Silver badge

    You think you have Troubles .........whenever, WOW, your Global Apps are a Spies Delight ?

    "I'd be willing to bet that full on 100% of network applications which are too old and creaky to run on Windows 7 and therefore rely on XP mode are vulnerable as a very vulnerable thing, so saying "it only lets you exploit exploitable XP apps" is a bit of a null statement." ..... Russell Howe Posted Wednesday 17th March 2010 16:44 GMT

    Russell,

    If MS do not yet realise that their Windows Base Kernel Code is Uncovered/Hacked/Cracked and all of their Operating Systems which are supposed to provide secure and undiscoverable leverage/stealthy business advantage over competing friends and adversarial foe alike, then it will be only a short time to a Big Bang Proprietary System IMPlosion which will Render their Products as the Trojans Dream Internal Mole Machine into every Thought Shared and Stored in ITs Memories/MetaDataBases.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Gates Horns

    Problem identified and solution suggested

    "Redmond, by contrast, argues the alleged bug discovered by Core only offers a mechanism to "exploit security vulnerabilities already present on the system, rather than an actual vulnerability"

    So is it a mechanism to "exploit security vulnerabilities already present on the system" or is it an "actual vulnerability"?

    You either have security vulnerabilities already present or you don't. If you do then that's a vulnerability.

    So the real problem is that MS don't know their arse from their elbow and continually write code that is about as secure as a wet paper bag. My proposed solution is to avoid windows and suggest to friends/colleagues that they do the same.

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