Microsoft is refining its policies and processes for certifying drivers through its Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP) after a recent incident in which the company appears to have inadvertently signed a malicious driver that was later distributed within gaming environments in China.
In a Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) blog post Friday, Microsoft said it was investigating the incident, in which an unnamed entity submitted drivers for certification through the WHCP. Microsoft did not explicitly confirm that it had signed — and had therefore validated as trusted — at least one malicious driver. However, Microsoft said it had suspended the account of the party that had submitted the drivers and had reviewed other submissions of theirs for malware.
“We have seen no evidence that the WHCP signing certificate was exposed,” the company noted. “The infrastructure was not compromised.”…
