This paper presents a new generation of attacks against Microsoft Windows,
and possibly other message-based windowing systems. The flaws presented in
this paper are, at the time of writing, unfixable. The only reliable solution
to these attacks requires functionality that is not present in Windows, as
well as efforts on the part of every single Windows software vendor.
Microsoft has known about these flaws for some time; when I alerted them to
this attack, their response was that they do not class it as a flaw - the
email can be found here. This research was sparked by comments made by
Microsoft VP Jim Allchin who stated, under oath, that there were flaws in
Windows so great that they would threaten national security if the Windows
source code were to be disclosed. He mentioned Message Queueing, and
immediately regretted it.
http://security.tombom.co.uk/shatter.html
http://security.tombom.co.uk/response.txt
Might be relevant to anyone having to make a case for the suits
Rob
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