Security Researcher Defeats Windows 8 Secure Boot

[Lucradia]

Now Windows 8 has its first bootkit:

http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2011/11/security-researcher-defeats-windows-8-secure-boot.ars

[dniMretsaM]

So much for increased security.

[prodigy_]

"Secure Boot" is simply a marketing name for their newest hardware-backed DRM crap. When you read "Windows Genuine Advantage" you don't suppose this thing could give you any real advantage, do you? Well, it's pretty much the same deal with SB and security.

P.S. Oh, and be prepared for major scandals, lawsuits and all sorts of situations when no other OS will even boot on "designed for Windows 8" hardware.

[Lucradia]

WGA is also considered spyware.

[ubupirate]

That so-called bootkit, is probably a virus the guy developed. LOL

[Lucradia]

That so-called bootkit, is probably a virus the guy developed. LOL

It's true because "Stoned!" Is a kit that can make a Windows XP system take any password for any user, and it'd still be valid to login with.

The bootkit here is called Stoned Lite, because it does a similar thing as the original, it changes the validation process for the secure boot.

[alexfish]

Seem to remember MS having a patent to prevent such access
What a waste of money that's been ;

Can't wait for the reactions ,esp when MS seem to think they are the front runner in Providing the Framework for security issues.

[Dr. C]

The moment a OS vendor ties security to DRM this kind of thing is bound to happen since there is a strong motivation to break DRM in order for the owner of the hardware to regain ownership.

[nixblog]

The old rule still applies, the more complex a thing becomes the easier it breaks.

Just one more reason to make the switch to Linux.

[ctrlmd]

Now Windows 8 has its first bootkit:

http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2011/11/security-researcher-defeats-windows-8-secure-boot.ars

"Kleissner said in a message exchange with Ars Technica that the exploit did not currently target the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), but instead went after legacy BIOS. Kleissner said he has shared his research and paper and the paper he plans to present, "The Art of Bootkit Development," with Microsoft."

and its not even beta os

[Nixarter]

Overall I see this as good. Windows looses customers, Linux gains customers. The world is more open.

[prodigy_]

Overall I see this as good. Windows looses customers, Linux gains customers. The world is more open.
It's a nice world you live in. Sadly, here on the Earth most PCs, laptops and accompanying devices are targeted primarily for use with Windows. So if it's not server hardware and vendors are forced to choose between Windows compatibility and Linux compatibility they'll choose Windows.

[Nixarter]

Why the assumption of mutual exclusivity?

[Dr. C]

Why the assumption of mutual exclusivity?

It is based on the assumption that both the overall market for computers does not grow and Microsoft's dominant position in the marketplace. While the first part of the assumption may be true in certain developed industrialized countries, it is not the case on a worldwide basis.

This assumption has only partial validity.

[szymon_g]

"(..)However, Kleissner said in a message exchange with Ars Technica that the exploit did not currently target the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), but instead went after legacy BIOS(..)"

ah. so, let me see it clear: security feature, that was made exclusively to work with UEFI, was broken when it was launched via BIOS.
yeah, great "hacks"!

@Dr. C
@Nixarter

when Vista was launched, quite a lot of users checked out linux- most of them came back to Windows after beta of win7 was released /which gained more users on desktop than all 2453 linux distributions/.
So, in short- in case of windows 8 failure /in which i doubt btw/, Apple is most likely to gain something

[prodigy_]

Why the assumption of mutual exclusivity?
Heh. What do you think is the real purpose of SB? They obviously want to lock Linux out and de-facto turn PC into a proprietary platform like Mac. Hopefully they'll fail at it but I'm not sure. The outcome will heavily depend on the popularity of Win8 itself.

[lisati]

It's true because "Stoned!" Is a kit that can make a Windows XP system take any password for any user, and it'd still be valid to login with.

The bootkit here is called Stoned Lite, because it does a similar thing as the original, it changes the validation process for the secure boot.

The original "Stoned" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoned_%28computer_virus%29) was a boot sector virus that targeted MS-DOS machines and displayed a message like "Your PC Is Stoned" or some such nonsense.

[3rdalbum]

Hopefully someone already has an exploit available for UEFI Secure Boot, and they're sitting on it until the first real Windows 8 hardware ships. No point giving Microsoft and OEMs advance notice, is there?