Microsoft’s Secure Boot has been broken for a decade and no one noticed until now
Summary
A security feature called Secure Boot, designed by Microsoft to protect computers from harmful firmware attacks, has had a major weakness for 13 years. Researchers found that some old software pieces called shims, which Microsoft signs to maintain trust, had security problems but were never revoked, allowing hackers to bypass Secure Boot on both Windows and Linux devices.Key Facts
- Secure Boot is a security system introduced in 2012 to stop malicious software from running before the operating system starts.
- Microsoft signs small programs called shims to extend Secure Boot protection, especially for Linux devices.
- Researchers discovered 11 old shims with known security flaws that Microsoft did not revoke for over a decade.
- Attackers can use these vulnerable shims to install harmful firmware that remains even if the operating system is reinstalled.
- This flaw affects both Windows and Linux machines and can be exploited with only basic hacking knowledge.
- Microsoft finally revoked these problematic shims in June 2024 after being informed by security researchers.
- The Secure Boot system is complex, which might have contributed to Microsoft missing the need to revoke these shims earlier.
- Physical access to a device is often required to exploit Secure Boot weaknesses, but Secure Boot’s job is to protect against that risk.
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