Google engineer publicizes Windows zero-day bug

[Jack]

A Google security engineer accused Microsoft of treating outside researchers with "great hostility" just days before posting details of an unpatched vulnerability in Windows that could be used to crash PCs or gain additional access rights.

Microsoft acknowledged the vulnerability late Tuesday. "We are aware of claims regarding a potential issue affecting Microsoft Windows and are investigating," said Dustin Childs, a spokesman for the company's security response group, in an email. "We will take the appropriate action to protect our customers."

Childs declined to answer additional questions, including whether Microsoft had been aware of the vulnerability before it surfaced on the Full Disclosure security mailing list May 17, or when it would release a patch.

Tavis Ormandy, a Google security engineer, revealed the bug on Full Disclosure, where he discussed the flaw in the Windows kernel driver, "Win32k.sys," and asked for help in overcoming a roadblock. "I don't have much free time to work on silly Microsoft code, so I'm looking for ideas on how to fix the final obstacle for exploitation," he wrote.

Ormandy had first published information about the vulnerability in March to GitHub in an effort to solicit help or entice other researchers to investigate. That information no longer appears on GitHub, however.

On Monday, Ormandy again posted to Full Disclosure, going into more detail and providing demonstration code. "I have a working exploit that grants SYSTEM on all currently supported versions of Windows," claimed Ormandy. "Code is available on request to students from reputable schools."

Tuesday, Danish vulnerability research firm Secunia published a skeletal advisory, claiming it had confirmed the bug in a fully-patched copy of Windows 7 Professional and that Windows 8 and other editions might also be affected.

Secunia said that the vulnerability could be exploited to generate a denial-of-service (DoS) attack or to give an attacker elevated privileges.

Microsoft dubs the latter an "elevation of privilege," or EoP, vulnerability

Read more: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/052313-google-engineer-bashes-microsoft39s-handling-270072.html?hpg1=bn

 

[DrBeenGolfing]

"A Google security engineer accused Microsoft of treating outside researchers with "great hostility" just days before posting details of an unpatched vulnerability in Windows that could be used to crash PCs or gain additional access rights."
It's the Hatfields vs McCoys.