Check Point finds Windows kernel vunerability: Rust programming language fail
Check Point has found flaws in the Microsoft Windows operating system this month, including a critical one that allows attackers to crash systems.
The software at risk is a kernel component, a piece of software that is typically given higher access rights than regular apps. The kernel can be considered the core of the operating system, with low-level access to the hardware and all running apps. Anything running in the kernel can access data and controls not available to normal apps.
Rust is a programming language that emerged in 2006, with its first stable release in 2015 (learn about Rust in this book on Amazon). Like Ada, which emerged in 1977, Rust was designed to help minimize safety issues, including memory leaks due to poorly written code, which can occur more frequently in C++.
Check Point believes the Rust kernel component vulnerability is the first one found that has been publicly disclosed. This discovery can help remind security experts to always assume all modern software is vulnerable and to apply zero-trust practices at all times (learn about it in this book on Amazon).
Windows users should manually check and update their systems immediately to prevent hackers from causing havoc (Go to Settings > Windows Update > Check for Updates).
