14 DAY TRIAL // Want to know just how easy it is to hack Windows 7? It actually takes only a few actions on behalf of the end users to literally hand over a computer to an attacker, in spite of the fact that the computer in question is running the final version of Windows 7, along with security software. The antivirus is useless from the get go, as it is incapable of detecting a zero-day custom hack, let alone prevent or block it in any manner. At the same time, the mitigations of Windows 7 in the default security configuration are also by passed.
But better yet, do you want to witness a Windows 7 RTM yourselves? Then just have a look at the video embedded at the bottom of this article. You will be able to see a hack put together by a non-Microsoft security researcher and demoed at TechEd. And of course, you’ll also be able to find out the steps you need to take in order to protect your environment against this type of attack.
“Marcus Murray, security consultant at TrueSec, shows us a hacking demo he created of Windows 7 using Excel over the internet. After this he explains what security features in Windows 7 you could have used to prevent this hack from occurring. He also talks about an interesting little-known security feature called “Authentication Mechanism Assurance” in Windows Server 2008 R2 which enables smart card dynamic group membership,” revealed David Tesar, from TechNet Edge.
In Windows 7’s defense, fact is that this hack can only succeed with user intervention. The end user has to download the malformed Excel file, and subsequently needs to opt out one of the security mitigations of the spread sheet applications involving macros. Only after this point is the Windows 7 machine actually compromised.
Still, attackers generally use a wide and diversified range of social engineering techniques designed especially to convince end users to execute malicious code on their computers. In this regard, the actual vulnerability doesn’t sit in Windows 7, but between the chair and the computer monitor.
“Windows 7 builds upon the strong security lineage of Windows Vista and retains and builds upon the development processes and technologies that have made Windows Vista the most secure version of the Windows client to date. Fundamental security features such as Kernel Patch Protection, Service Hardening, Data Execution Prevention, Address Space Layout Randomization, and Mandatory Integrity Levels continue to provide enhanced protection against malware and attacks. Windows 7 has been designed and developed using the Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle (SDL), and it is engineered to support Common Criteria requirements to achieve Evaluation Assurance Level 4 certification and meet Federal Information Processing Standard 140-2,” Microsoft noted.