Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Certificate Was Used To Sign Flame Malware
wiredmikey writes "Microsoft disclosed that 'unauthorized digital certificates derived from a Microsoft Certificate Authority' were used to sign components of the recently discovered Flame malware. 'We have discovered through our analysis that some components of the malware have been signed by certificates that allow software to appear as if it was produced by Microsoft,' Microsoft Security Response Center's Jonathan Ness wrote in a blog post. Microsoft is also warning that the same techniques could be leveraged by less sophisticated attackers to conduct more widespread attacks. In response to the discovery, Microsoft released a security advisory detailing steps that organizations should take in order block software signed by the unauthorized certificates, and also released an update to automatically protect customers. Also as part of its response effort, Microsoft said its Terminal Server Licensing Service no longer issues certificates that allow code to be signed."
I kind of thought Microsoft would make damn sure someone else couldn't duplicate their signatures (barring an employee or a government doing it).
GP is perfectly right, if anything. Microsoft will control by default all bootloaders, and this event shows that Microsoft are unable to maintain their chain of trust. The fact that there can be (or not - cf. ARM) an undocumented, user-unfriendly, unspecified procedure to add other people's keys doesn't change a bit of that.
Flamer is out in the wild since cca. 2007, with a MS signed certificate, and the only IT security organization that decides to bring it to public attention is a Russian company, and the first removal tool is from a Romanian company. Isn't this a bit strange? Isn't it more likely that this NA-designed spyware targetting the Middle East was released with the tacit agreement of Western security companies and it only became known because the Russians, for some reason, decided they would not play the game? Microsoft being unaware for thw last few years that hundreds of computers are infected with a 20 MB spyware pack bearing a security certifice of their own? Come on...