Kernel bug the priority in monthly update
Microsoft and independent security voices both say an update in this week’s “Patch Tuesday” collection should be the top priority for all users. Failure to do so could leave users vulnerable to a particularly serious security gap.
The update is listed as MS09-065 and is needed for all currently supported versions of Windows except for Windows 7 and some versions of Server 2008. The potential effects are more serious in Windows 2000, XP and Server 2003 but could still be a danger in Vista.
The bug would allow a hacker to use a Web site with a specially crafted Embedded Open Type (EOT) font to gain access to the kernel of the user’s machine. EOT is a system used on Web site to allow a particular font to appear as intended without allowing the user to download and access the font itself.
The kernel is effectively the brain of an operating system. It controls the allocation of memory to different applications and even decides what task the computer should carry out at any precise split-second. As you can imagine, a compromised kernel could put a computer in a particularly vulnerable state as it allows the hacker the highest possible level of control.
As well as being ranked critical for the severity of its effects, the issue has also earned Microsoft’s highest rating for exploitability. That means the firm believes it is possible for hackers to consistently exploit the flaw, which in turns makes it particularly likely they will attempt to do so.
It’s reported that proof-of-concept code is already available for a successful exploit. That merely proves it is theoretically possible to exploit the bug, rather than being evidence hackers have already done so. However, it does mean attempts to exploit the bug are virtually certain to be ongoing right now.
A hacker exploiting the bug would have to persuade a user to visit a Web page with the infected EOT font. The most likely way of doing so would be through a bogus link in an e-mail.
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