NASA’s new dark energy space telescope can also detect killer asteroids
technologyreview.com·1h ago
Security
Google Project Zero·5 min read
Bypassing Administrator Protection by Abusing UI Access
TL;DR
A security gap existed in Windows where limited user processes could potentially control privileged user interfaces, risking privilege escalation. Microsoft introduced a feature called User Interface Privacy Isolation (UIPI) to mitigate this, but it inadvertently blocked accessibility tools.
✦ Why It Matters
Engineers should understand the implications of UI Access for developing secure and accessible applications.
Key Takeaways
- Audit your applications for compliance with UI Access requirements.
- Implement stricter checks for process creation and permissions.
- Monitor for potential exploitation of UI Access vulnerabilities.
- Stay updated on Windows security patches and updates.
How It Works
UI Access allows certain processes to bypass restrictions imposed by User Interface Privacy Isolation (UIPI), enabling limited users to interact with higher integrity processes. This is achieved by setting a specific flag in the process's access token, which can be exploited if not properly managed.