Staff
It is still unclear how a virus was approved by Microsoft and made its way into Windows. To keep Windows users safe, Microsoft must approve software that third parties create for the operating system.
However, it seems that even with a strict control system in place, malware has managed to slip through the company's screening process.
According to BleepingComputer, the third-party driver, Netfilter, contains malware that the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program did not detect.
Karsten Hahn, the cybersecurity researcher who discovered the problem, said that the code was built to communicate with Chinese servers.
It is not yet known how the rootkit could have gotten past Microsoft's audit and obtained the company's certificate.
The driver was created by a company called Ningbo Zhuo Zhi Innovation Network Technology, which is now working with Redmond to fix the security problem. Microsoft will automatically distribute the appropriate driver via an update.
According to Microsoft, the malware was targeted at gamer users, but they are not aware of anyone's data being compromised.
