Guarding the Core: Microsoft Rethinks Kernel Access After Security Slip
Looks like Microsoft might be considering some changes to address a major CrowdStrike update error that caused 8.5 million PCs to go offline, emphasizing the need for changes to Windows and increased system resilience. Allowing third-party access to the Windows kernel has always been a careful issue to balance.
Tom Warren writes for The Verge
While CrowdStrike has blamed a bug in its testing software for its botched update, its software runs at the kernel level — the core part of an operating system that has unrestricted access to system memory and hardware. This means that if something goes wrong with CrowdStrike’s app, it can take down Windows machines with a Blue Screen of Death.
This move is a tight rope that needs to be carefully thought out. I would not allow apps Kernel access but that is just a quick call without really considering all the variables.