SolarWinds Hack: Attackers were able to see Microsoft’s source code

In the last few weeks, a serious vulnerability in the Orion network management software offered by SolarWinds made headlines. The loophole was exploited to attack large IT groups. The hackers were able to get source code from Microsoft.

After it became known in mid-December that Microsoft was affected by the SolarWinds hack, the Redmond-based company has now published an update on the incident. In the statement, the company admits that the hackers were able to view part of the company’s internal source code. However, it remains unclear which data was actually involved. The attackers may have been able to retrieve bits of code from Office and Windows. This could find vulnerabilities in the products and use them for malicious purposes.

Further attacks were prevented

After an investigation, Microsoft has now come to the conclusion that no internal code could be modified as part of the attack. The attackers did not succeed in gaining access to the Redmond -based production systems. In addition, there is no evidence that the hackers could access data from customers or that Microsoft systems were used to attack other companies. Thus, the damage should initially be limited.

Trojans distributed on the systems of 18,000 corporations

In addition to Microsoft, many other corporations also fell victim to the SolarWinds hack. The attackers managed to distribute the “Sunburst” malware via the security hole in the Orion platform. According to SolarWinds, 18,000 companies will be affected. State actors from Russia are suspected to be behind the attack.