Microsoft fumes as Google exposes crack in Windows

Google’s decision to disclose these vulnerabilities before patches are broadly available and tested is disappointing.

SANFRANCISCO:Microsoft on Tuesday warned that a Windows vulnerability exposed by rival Google was being exploited by a hacking group suspected of cyber attacks on US political institutions. It also berated Google for going public with the breach without giving it a chance to come up with a patch.

Hackers that Microsoft researchers call “Strontium” launched a low-volume spearphishing campaign aimed at a specific set of people, Windows and devices group executive vice-president Terry Myerson said in a blog post.

Spear phishing involves tricking people with personally crafted email messages that get them to click on links or files booby-trapped with malicious code that infects machines, letting hackers steal information or take control.

Strontium has been described as a sophisticated hacking operation with ties to Russia. The group has also been suspected of involvement in hacks of political parties in the US presidential race.

Microsoft said a “responsible” member of the industry would have put users first and waited for a patch to be ready before making the vulnerability public. “Google’s decision to disclose these vulnerabilities before patches are broadly available and tested is disappointing, and puts customers at increased risk,” Myerson said.

Google countered that it had given Microsoft seven days to fix the flaw, as per its policy regarding critical flaws, before making it public on Monday.

“This vulnerability is particularly serious because we know it is being actively exploited,” Neel Mehta and Billy Leonard of the Google threat analysis group said in an online post.

Google said it told Microsoft and Adobe about the vulnerabilities on October 21, and an update to Flash addressing the weakness was released five days later.