October 6, 2024

That is the place issues get difficult. Reguly argued that this quantities to a safety gap.

“With the proof-of-concept supplied, we’re performing the motion of launching an elevated command immediate. This may very well be finished by an administrator, however they’d get a UAC immediate. As a substitute, we’re utilizing a malicious method, and also you don’t get a UAC immediate,” Reguly stated. “If UAC is a safety function and we’re operating one thing that might usually require a UAC immediate with out one, that sounds to me like a safety function bypass. Microsoft, historically, has mounted safety function bypasses, however, on this case, due to the wording of the Microsoft Safety Servicing Standards for Home windows, they don’t seem to be.”

That final line is certainly the thrust of the Microsoft argument. Of their Security Service Criteria for Windows, Microsoft says “Administrative processes and customers are thought-about a part of the Trusted Computing Base (TCB) for Home windows and are subsequently not strongly remoted from the kernel boundary. Directors are answerable for the safety of a tool and may disable safety features, uninstall safety updates, and carry out different actions that make kernel isolation ineffective. This consists of actions which require Administrator permissions like registry tampering with HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and any assault the place the attacker has Native or Area Administrator entry.”