Symantec has updated its analysis of the network attack surface in Windows Vista. After having evaluated the network-facing components of the beta version of the operating system, at the end of Vista's first month of commercial availability Symantec has made available an updated study. The release of Vista has marked the overhauling of the Windows networking stack. The evolution of the network stack brings to the table core behavior alterations, and Symantec considers the new technology simply immature.

"Our analysis explores how it affects network security and how it differs from previous versions of Microsoft Windows. Windows Vista also introduces a number of new protocols, most importantly IPv6, its supporting protocols, and several IPv4 to IPv6 transition protocols. As a client operating system, Windows Vista will be widely deployed and as such is an important topic for security research. We studied the following protocols and technologies: LLTD, IPv4, IPv6, Teredo, TCP, SMB2 named pipes, MS-RPC, and the Windows Firewall. We also studied ARP, NDP, IGMP, MLD, ICMPv6, and UDP," reads the abstract of the Windows Vista Network Attack Surface Analysis.

Symantec has warned that the network stack will deliver more stability in the long run and it will also not be immune to vulnerabilities. In this regard, the Cupertino-based security company commented that Microsoft has managed to reduce the time frame until the network stack will mature via extensive testing and forethought.

Symantec concluded that potential threats will be focused not on the new IPv6 protocol, as its deployment is not yet widespread, but on the tunneling protocols and on the new implementations of the old protocols.