Kernel Patch Protection - Advantages

Advantages

Patching the kernel has never been supported by Microsoft because it can cause a number of negative effects. Kernel Patch Protection protects against these negative effects, which include:

  • The Blue Screen of Death, which results from serious errors in the kernel.
  • Reliability issues resulting from multiple programs attempting to patch the same parts of the kernel.
  • Compromised system security.
  • Rootkits can use kernel access to embed themselves in an operating system, becoming nearly impossible to remove.
  • Products that rely on kernel modifications are likely to break with newer versions of Windows or updates to Windows that change the way the kernel works.

Microsoft's Kernel Patch Protection FAQ further explains:

Because patching replaces kernel code with unknown, untested code, there is no way to assess the quality or impact of the third-party code...An examination of Online Crash Analysis (OCA) data at Microsoft shows that system crashes commonly result from both malicious and non-malicious software that patches the kernel.

— "Kernel Patch Protection: Frequently Asked Questions". 22 January 2007. http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/driver/kernel/64bitpatch_FAQ.mspx. Retrieved 22 February 2007.

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