[IP] more on Steve Gibson: MS WMF is a Backdoor, Not a Coding Mistake
Begin forwarded message:
From: Bob Frankston <Bob2-19-0501@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: January 13, 2006 4:21:41 PM EST
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx, ip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [IP] Steve Gibson: MS WMF is a Backdoor, Not a Coding
Mistake
As one of the Groklaw commenters reminds us, Gibson also wanted to
take out the raw sockets calls in Windows because he thinks that they
are a security hole when removing them only creates the illusion of
security.
Just reading his analysis, the WMF is a classic operating system bug
– a callback from a protected context. Given that the code has been
around for a long time and seemed to work I can understand
overlooking it. Calling it a conspiracy is very strange. It’s not
completely different from the more subtle bug in expanding JPG files.
As to asking Microsoft to patch all old versions of Windows they did
-- the patch is called XP.
I do appreciate his explanation even if I don’t agree with his
conspiracy theory.
Ideally there would be no bit rot in the world but the solution is
simplicity rather than a combinatorial explosion of systems mixed
with patches.
Let’s not confuse naïve hindsight analysis with understanding – it
makes it more difficult to address the issues.
It’s also important to realize that the processor is not the only
execution engine – all applications are execution engines that apply
polices. Befuddling them is a standard attack vector – especially
when the execution engine is a clerk interpreting a baroque policy
(such as cellular plans).
As noted in Schneier’s comments on identity – we can’t fix human
factors attacks with a simple technical patch as Gibson seemed to
want to do with raw sockets.
-----Original Message-----
From: David Farber [mailto:dave@xxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2006 15:47
To: ip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [IP] Steve Gibson: MS WMF is a Backdoor, Not a Coding Mistake
Begin forwarded message:
From: Matt Manor <kingmanor@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: January 13, 2006 12:54:39 PM EST
To: David Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Steve Gibson: MS WMF is a Backdoor, Not a Coding Mistake
Steve Gibson: MS WMF is a Backdoor, Not a Coding Mistake
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20060113111825193
http://www.grc.com/sn/SN-022.htm
Those of you using Microsoft Windows 2000 or XP will want to follow
this story: Steve Gibson has examined WMF and he now believes it
was deliberately coded. It looks to him that Microsoft put a
backdoor into Windows, which can be triggered even if Active X is
turned off and security is at high.
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