Author Topic: Windows 7's Unfixable Glitch (Read 1347 times)

p2p rules · « **on:** April 26, 2009, 08:18:23 pm »

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This week the world's leading cybersecurity professionals gathered in Dubai at the Hack In The Box Security Conference to discuss the state of the industry, identify new threats, share pro-tips, and play Dungeons and Dragons. Ok, probably not that last part, but you get the point; high-nerdery was clearly afoot at the Sheraton Dubai Creek. One of the more prominent topics of discussion was Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows 7. While a number of exploits and potential vulnerabilities of the system were discussed at the conference, one identified loophole in the system has security professionals troubled…and morbidly fascinated.

A team of researchers located an exploit within the new operating system that can allow hackers to take control of a user's machine during the startup process. The problem was identified by Vipin Kumar and Nitin Kumar, who created a program called VBootKit 2.0 that exploits the weakness and allows a hacker to bypass the machine's hard drive entirely, making it nearly impossible to detect. Once hackers can implement the software, they can then change access permissions, passwords, and gain access to a user's sensitive information. What's worse, a program like the one created by Vipin and Nitin Kumar can be as small as 3KBs, and thus can be spread rapidly. Naturally, problems like these are common during the pre-release beta stages, but Vipin and Nitin Kumar claim that this vulnerability is unique and completely unfixable.

"There's no fix for this. It cannot be fixed," said Vipin during his presentation in Dubai. "It's a design problem."

Microsoft has yet to comment on the exploit or formally acknowledge its existence, however, if Vipin and Nitin's claims are true, it could mean serious trouble for the forthcoming operating system's sales.

source: IGN Gear

Forested665 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 26, 2009, 08:40:23 pm »

This looks like the Bios level remote desktop being added to the bootloader. I doubt that its unfixable.... sounds like someone making a name for them selves. The program has to exist somewhere, if it only affects windows then that means its relaying on a portion of it, perhaps the schedular can see it? Or someone could make a utility to eat your ram so it has no room.

GhostShip · « **Reply #2 on:** April 26, 2009, 11:56:25 pm »

I dont think your reading the article in the right context, this is a method that negates the trusted computing mechanism, its nothing to do with malware at this stage, MS have no long term concern regarding malware, their priority is to eventually pawn your machine by slowly ensuring both the operating system and the mobo support their lock in method (TCP original name but changes each year

), this new problem seem to make years of work look wasted.

MinersLantern · « **Reply #3 on:** April 27, 2009, 03:38:01 am »

I thought this so called 'unfixable' problem (of which there is nothing unfixable, except maybe obama) required someone to gain physical access to your PC.
In that case wouldn't a loaded 357 magnum and an attentive homeowner 'fix' the issue when someone breaks in and begins to merrily start typing away or otherwise mucking about with the computer?

White Stripes · « **Reply #4 on:** April 27, 2009, 03:35:12 pm »

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....this new problem seem to make years of work look wasted.....

have you ever seen a microsoft product that doesnt seem to make years of work look wasted? cos i havent found it...

..Ñøßß¥.. · « **Reply #5 on:** April 27, 2009, 03:45:11 pm »

Quote from: Silver Stripes on April 27, 2009, 03:35:12 pm

have you ever seen a microsoft product that doesnt seem to make years of work look wasted? cos i havent found it...

MS Live writer is pretty cool

Forested665 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 27, 2009, 10:44:13 pm »

Idk.... but vista just made my years of work look like nothing.
Finally got the hdd booted in the quad instead of booting in safemode and bitching about drivers i got to stare at the instalation screen.
It ran the installer from the hdd merged may FAT16 partition with my NTFS then dumped all the files into windows.old.
But oddly enough all the folder still show up in the root directory with their subfolder... but nothings in them xD

Cobra · « **Reply #7 on:** April 28, 2009, 02:23:02 am »

I'm not intending to start a propaganda riot here, but for all we know this "glitch" was put in on purpose intended as a backdoor, knowing that it would not be something easily repaired through a "quick fix". That way your average programmer would not be able to create and distribute a repair program after noticing that nothing is being done through Automatic Updates to fix the problem.

Lagerlout666 · « **Reply #8 on:** April 28, 2009, 09:31:18 pm »

Well all they will do knowing M$ is keep adding some sort of detection for each varient of what ever malware appears that takes advatage of this. So rather than cure they will go with prevention as they always do. and it will bite them on the arse. Thank God ubuntu is flying along so well now. Ive been on ubuntu a few weeks now. 90% of what i use their are free varients, or works in wine. Soon as wine cracks a few more programms it would be stupid to allow such rubbish on your computer.