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Microsoft 'Patch' Blocks Linux Installs On Locked-Down Windows RT Computers (fossbytes.com)
An anonymous Slashdot reader quotes a report from fossBytes:
Microsoft has released a security update that has patched a backdoor in Windows RT operating system [that] allowed users to install non-Redmond approved operating systems like Linux and Android on Windows RT tablets.
This vulnerability in ARM-powered, locked-down Windows devices was left by Redmond programmers during the development process. Exploiting this flaw, one was able to boot operating systems of his/her choice, including Android or GNU/Linux.
The Register points out that since Windows RT is "a dead-end operating system" which Microsoft has announced they'll stop developing, "mainstream support for Surface RT tablets runs out in 2017 and Windows RT 8.1 in 2018. This is why a means to bypass its boot mechanisms is highly sought."
The Register points out that since Windows RT is "a dead-end operating system" which Microsoft has announced they'll stop developing, "mainstream support for Surface RT tablets runs out in 2017 and Windows RT 8.1 in 2018. This is why a means to bypass its boot mechanisms is highly sought."
Yes, but why bother to patch such an exploit in an OS that you've already killed off yourself? Why not open up the market to let people take advantage of the hardware rather than let it end up in the Landfill? The answer of course is, "because they're Microsoft, duh?", but what value did this add?
A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing -- Emo Phillips