It’s not unusual for hackers and script kiddies to crash their Windows systems while trying to write a malicious code. It’s apparently also not unusual for them to send that malicious code right along to Microsoft when prompted.
According to Microsoft senior security architect Rocky Heckman, when a “hacker’s system crashes in Windows, as with all typical Windows crashes, the user would be prompted to send the error details – including the malicious code – to Microsoft. The funny thing is that many say yes.
He explains further:
People have sent us their virus code when they’re trying to develop their virus and they keep crashing their systems. It’s amazing how much stuff we get.
Whoops. [ZDNet]
Image by maga/ShutterStock
Michi Weiner
Saturday, August 28, 2010 at 10:53 PMLol, it is amazing how much stuff that little button sends. I must admit, I just love Microsoft’s incredibly liberal understanding of the term “error details”. Are the exact specs of what’s sent to Microsoft documented somewhere?
Travis New
Sunday, August 29, 2010 at 11:07 AMThat’s awesomely funny & ironic.
pr0curve
Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 10:42 PMIf MS is getting so much malicious code submitted to them you would think they would be able to patch stuff much more quickly or at least issue a kick-ass anti-virus product.