Windows: why we do not fix a few bugs directly

Microsoft has released a draft document outlining which security vulnerabilities in Windows or other products will be updated immediately and which may be left for later.

The document states the criteria that Microsoft's Troubleshooting Center uses to decide whether a reported vulnerability will be patched immediately, usually in an updated next Patch Tuesday's security patch, or it will be released with another month's updates.Windows

Microsoft reports in a post on her blog that the document aims to provide researchers with "more clarity on security features, limits and fixes in Windows, and service commitments."

The criteria mentioned by to assess the severity of vulnerabilities are summarized in two basic questions:

1. Does the vulnerability break the promise of a security threshold or security feature that Microsoft is committed to defending? and
2. The severity of the vulnerability meets the of the company for service?

If the answer to both of the above questions is "yes", the error will be fixed in the next security update, but if the answer to both questions is "no", the vulnerability will be recorded for a subsequent update or a later version of the affected product , feature or service.

The promptness of the service used by the company seems to be determined by Microsoft's severity rating system, to help developers understand the risk of any vulnerabilities. So we have vulnerabilities that are critical, important, moderate, low and not at all.

"If a vulnerability is determined to be critical or important and involves a security boundary or security feature that we have an obligation to service, then it will be addressed through a security update," the document states.

Microsoft lists below the eight types of security limits for which it has a service commitment. For example the company distinguishes vulnerabilities between kernel operation and user functions.

The security features that the company is committed to serving immediately are: BitLocker and Secure Boot, Windows Defender System Guard, Windows Defender Application Control, Windows Hello, Windows Resource Access Control, encryption, Host Guardian Service, and authentication protocols.

All registered security boundaries and security features supported by the company are included in the Bug Bounty of Microsoft.

However, Microsoft service commitments do not apply to certain defense features, such as Control Flow Guard, Code Integrity Guard, and Arbitrary Code Guard. Other features excluded from service commitments include ransomware protection, and Microsoft antivirus, Windows Defender.

You can read the document for more information (PDF).

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Written by giorgos

George still wonders what he's doing here ...

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