- Microsoft revealed that the SolarWinds hackers were able to breach security and gain access to sensitive source code, although they were unable to make any changes to it.
- The company said the hackers had no access to production services or customer data, and the company’s systems were not used to attack other targets.
- Some security experts believe that even a look at source code data can provide information that can help with future attacks.
One of the worst things that happened last year was the massive SolarWinds hack in mid-December that affected government agencies and Fortune 500 companies. Hackers try to perform these kinds of attacks all the time, but the SolarWinds attack is more dangerous because it would come from Russia. The Kremlin may deny the operation, but experts have been pointing the finger at Russia since the early days of the investigation. More than two weeks after the hacks, Microsoft announced that the attackers had access to a critical piece of software, the source code of one or more undisclosed products.
Microsoft explained in a blog post that the hackers could not change the source code. But even a glance at source code from a company like Microsoft can be enough for hackers to develop new attacks that compromise other Microsoft products.
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If a nation-state has initiated the SolarWinds attack, access to the source code is even more important. Microsoft didn’t explain in its blog post what type of source code was seen, so it’s unclear what kind of software could be affected by this. Let’s not forget that Microsoft makes a lot of software other than Windows. The company produces tons of software, which explains why hackers would go after its secrets. The list includes the popular Office suite as well as a variety of apps and cloud solutions. Many businesses and government agencies depend on Microsoft software, and source code insights can provide attackers with new ways to bypass security solutions and invade future attacks.
Microsoft published its new findings on December 31, however Reuters reports that three people who have been briefed on the matter said the software giant had known for days that the source code had been breached in the attack.
“The source code is the architectural blueprint of how the software is built,” Cycode’s Andrew Fife told the news organization. Cycode is an Israel-based company that develops source code solutions. “When you have the blueprint, it is much easier to make attacks.” Ronen Slavin, Cycode’s chief technology officer, wondered what kind of source code had been opened. For me, the biggest question is, ‘Was this a reconnaissance for the next major operation? ” Asked Slavin.
This is how Microsoft described the unauthorized access to the source code:
We discovered unusual activity with a small number of internal accounts, and on audit we found that one account had been used to view the source code in a number of source sources. The account was not authorized to change code or technical systems, and our investigation further confirmed that no changes had been made. These accounts have been investigated and remedied.
The company also explained that its investigation “found no evidence of access to manufacturing services or customer data. The ongoing investigation also found no evidence that our systems were being used to attack others. The FBI is also investigating the SolarWinds attacks.
Microsoft did not mention Russia in the post, but made it clear that it believes it is fighting “a highly sophisticated nation-state player.”
The company also says it has a philosophy of “assuming breach” in its security practices. That’s an assumption that attackers will breach security. The company also explained that it uses open source principles within the company to make the source code visible within Microsoft. “This means that we do not rely on the secrecy of source code for product security, and our threat models assume that attackers have knowledge of the source code,” the company wrote. “So viewing the source code is not associated with increased risk.”
Microsoft’s blog post aims to reassure governments and customers, but the fact remains that hackers may be in possession of the kind of secrets they shouldn’t have access to. Time will tell if gaining access to Microsoft’s source code will allow the same team of attackers to create even more sophisticated hacks.
Chris Smith started writing about gadgets as a hobby and before he knew it, he shared his thoughts on tech matters with readers around the world. When not writing about gadgets, he sadly fails to stay away from them, although he desperately tries. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.