Tuesday, May 27th 2008

Windows Vista UAC 'Nails' Rootkits

by
zekrahminator
 Discuss (40 Comments)
Most would agree that Windows Vista's most obvious security feature, UAC, which asks a user for confirmation every time the computer decides to perform an administrative task, can become quite annoying. However, past whatever annoyance a user might perceive, it does have some very useful features. When a security firm pitted seven anti-virus suites against roughly 30 rootkit infections. Unfortunately, none of the programs found all of the rootkits. However, when tested on a Vista platform, Windows Vista's UAC actually prevented the rootkits from getting terribly mangled into the system, which made removal and detection a little easier. If nothing else, UAC kept the system more stable while the rootkit did its thing, and prevented a lot of damage from happening. In fact, when the security firm pitted the rootkit against Windows Vista UAC by itself, all of the rootkits were stopped right in their tracks.
Source: Neowin.net

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40 Comments on Windows Vista UAC 'Nails' Rootkits

#26
jonmcc33
PVTCaboose1337The first thing I did on Vista? Turned off UAC because it does not do crap. (I mean it does, but allows me to do nothing)
It does a lot of crap, including protecting your computer. I left it enabled on my file server but disabled it on my gaming rig as I do not run any untrustworthy software on it.
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#27
CrAsHnBuRnXp
Ive got a firewall, AV, and AS on my computer to protect it. I dont need an annoying ass UAC to see if i want to move my mouse left or right. :)
Posted on Reply
#28
Triprift
Thats pretty much how bad it was for me crash didnt last long :cool:
Posted on Reply
#29
jonmcc33
CrAsHnBuRnXpIve got a firewall, AV, and AS on my computer to protect it. I dont need an annoying ass UAC to see if i want to move my mouse left or right. :)
You won't get prompted for that at all and you know it. Only installing applications or trying to run things that require elevated priviledges will give you a UAC prompt.
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#30
Solaris17
Super Dainty Moderator
i use commodo plain and simple....it asks every time i want to breath but its worth it and i can atleast tell that to remember my response..unsafe you say un true because if their is any variance in what i tell it to remember the next time i start the program is asks again and tells me whats going on in a detailed paragraph.
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#31
jonmcc33
Solaris17i use commodo plain and simple....it asks every time i want to breath but its worth it and i can atleast tell that to remember my response..unsafe you say un true because if their is any variance in what i tell it to remember the next time i start the program is asks again and tells me whats going on in a detailed paragraph.
It's not the same as UAC though. UAC is much more than a response. The reason it doesn't remember responses is due to potential for malware to attach itself to other applications.

Read up on UAC here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_Account_Control
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#32
CrAsHnBuRnXp
jonmcc33You won't get prompted for that at all and you know it. Only installing applications or trying to run things that require elevated priviledges will give you a UAC prompt.
I was being an ass for the fact that it asks about everything and that its annoying. Dont take it so literal man. :toast:
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#34
jonmcc33
CrAsHnBuRnXpI was being an ass for the fact that it asks about everything and that its annoying. Dont take it so literal man. :toast:
In most cases you shouldn't get prompts. I take everything black and white as literal. :p
CrAsHnBuRnXpForgot a link.

arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080411-vistas-uac-security-prompt-was-designed-to-annoy-you.html
Yes, old news and I'd be surprised if he's still employed by Microsoft. Never heard of a disgruntled employee before? ;)
Posted on Reply
#36
Rebo&Zooty
acctualy if you read what he said, he didnt attack microsoft, he just pointed out why they really did what they did with uac, it was/is a way to force program vendors to not elevate prosesses.

by annoying users they force app makers to avoid doing things to....well annoy users....lol.

think about it, its brilliant, most ppl dont know how to dissable uac, if they keep getting prompts for an app they will likely bitch to the maker about it, the maker dosnt want to loose their clients/buyers so they try and fix the users annoiance by avoiding doing things they really dont need to do anyway.
Posted on Reply
#37
Wile E
Power User
Rebo&Zootyacctualy if you read what he said, he didnt attack microsoft, he just pointed out why they really did what they did with uac, it was/is a way to force program vendors to not elevate prosesses.

by annoying users they force app makers to avoid doing things to....well annoy users....lol.

think about it, its brilliant, most ppl dont know how to dissable uac, if they keep getting prompts for an app they will likely bitch to the maker about it, the maker dosnt want to loose their clients/buyers so they try and fix the users annoiance by avoiding doing things they really dont need to do anyway.
But see, what you don't..................ermmm, hold on, did I just see you defend something Vista related? :laugh: :p
Posted on Reply
#38
Rebo&Zooty
Wile EBut see, what you don't..................ermmm, hold on, did I just see you defend something Vista related? :laugh: :p
only because its annoied the hell out of me having to have my father on an admin acct to use citrix client.....thats how he managed to beable to dissable the av and infect my mothers system so many times :P
Posted on Reply
#39
Squirrely
Wow, that's pretty good, lol. Vista is fine, I don't even have an anti-virus, they are too annoying (also cost too much personally as well :laugh:). I mean if you know what your doing, then viruses and spyware aren't a problem. Don't run random *.exe's and batch files, lol.

But on all my Vista installs, I do implement TweakUAC (www.tweakuac.com/). It disables the pesky UAC Prompts, but leaves everything else running with UAC, which is nice. :D
Posted on Reply
#40
jonmcc33
Rebo&Zootyacctualy if you read what he said, he didnt attack microsoft, he just pointed out why they really did what they did with uac, it was/is a way to force program vendors to not elevate prosesses.

by annoying users they force app makers to avoid doing things to....well annoy users....lol.

think about it, its brilliant, most ppl dont know how to dissable uac, if they keep getting prompts for an app they will likely bitch to the maker about it, the maker dosnt want to loose their clients/buyers so they try and fix the users annoiance by avoiding doing things they really dont need to do anyway.
Yes, but he stated that in the worst way during a period where Microsoft is trying to boost Windows Vista sales.

It would be like Ford releasing the latest style Mustang and then the designer of it coming out to the public to tell people that it weighs a ton so it has a lower power to weight ratio than previous Mustangs and that it handles like crap. Would that help boost sales of the Mustang?

The fact is that it is there to protect people from themselves, which is why Windows XP is such a nightmare to own for most people. Seen plenty of Windows XP systems get loaded with so much spyware that the system is barely usable.

Processes shouldn't need to run with elevated permissions to be honest. That's just poor programming in my book.
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