Bish Bash Bosh

In our 2016 security predictions we made a very much tongue in cheek comment that went like this:

Microsoft will fix everything

Microsoft will release a new version of Windows, built from the ground up, with no legacy leaky libraries on April the first.

Imagine our surprise to open the trade press this week to see that Microsoft will be supporting the Unix Bash shell and associated tools (like grep and vi, hurrah).

Yes, you read that right. Microsoft has announced support for the bash shell running under Windows 10. Apparently, this was demonstrated by development director Kevin Gallo at the MS developer conference on March the 30th. Mr Gallo said there was some Voodoo going on between the Ubuntu (you read that right too) and Windows APIs.

So we checked the date and time and are wondering if Microsoft are trying to do an April fools joke, but for once in its history released it early. Who knows? If you do, please let us know!

Is this the thin end of the wedge we ask? It has been known for some time that a significant number of MS developers have a very sweet spot for Unix and also that Windows 10 is getting increasingly tarred with a Vista brush. Interesting times.

You may have read about recent Malware being delivered via Microsoft’s PowerShell, as reported by the every brilliant Register here.

The question on the nation’s lips has to be: ‘What could possibly go wrong with implementing decades old Unix code in control of decades old Windows code’? Seriously, the mind boggles.

Patching schedules are going to be increasingly important if this hybrid world is a reality and not just an early and very cruel fool. If you would like some advice on patching prioritisation and execution, please give us a call. We have been working very hard to develop a pragmatic approach and would love to share it with you.

If you would like to know more, please contact us at: [email protected]or 020 7517 3900.