14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has decided to release a public statement on the recent announcement that a security researcher managed to break into Windows RT and force the operating system to run unsigned desktop apps.
Even though the company initially wanted to remain tight-lipped on the subject, a Microsoft spokesperson has sent us a statement claiming that this effort poses no security threat to Windows RT users.
“The scenario outlined is not a security vulnerability and does not pose a threat to Windows RT users. The mechanism described is not something the average user could, or reasonably would, leverage, as it requires local access to a system, local administration rights and a debugger in order to work,” the spokesperson said.
“In addition, the Windows Store is the only supported method for customers to install applications for Windows RT. There are mechanisms in place to scan for security threats and help ensure apps from the Store are legitimate and can be acquired and used with confidence,” he added.
What’s more, Microsoft praised the security researcher behind this jailbreak, emphasizing that a future Windows RT update could block the hack.
“We applaud the ingenuity of the folks who worked this out and the hard work they did to document it. We’ll not guarantee these approaches will be there in future releases,” the spokesperson continued.
Microsoft is actually hoping that this kind of hack is so complex that only a few users would go for it, although we all know that it’s just a matter of time until a full-featured jailbreak application is released to make everything easier and faster.
Still, the company seems prepared to deal with such attempts, so don’t be too surprised if future Patch Tuesday updates will include Windows RT fixes supposed to lock the operating system even better.