Security firm bypasses Vista's PatchGuard
WinInfo | at | by Mike
This week, security firm Authentium drew the attention of Microsoft when it released code to help bypass the PatchGuard kernel-protection software in x64 versions of Vista. The firm admitted that it resorted to exploiting a flaw in the Vista kernel to work its black magic, and its reasoning was spurious at best. (Authentium claims that Microsoft is unfairly locking security firms out of the Vista kernel when, in fact, even Microsoft's own security tools won't have access to the Vista kernel.) Microsoft sealed off the exploit in newer internal Vista builds and said it will continue to take similar action in the future via its critical security update mechanisms. Listen, I rip into Microsoft as often as it deserves, but this is clearly a case in which Microsoft has the moral high ground. PatchGuard isn't just common sense; it's what Microsoft should feel obligated to do to protect its users. Anyone who bypasses this technology doesn't care about Windows users at all. My advice is simple: Avoid products from companies that have tried to subvert Vista's security features to make headlines or push their own profits over the needs of their customers.