A security researcher known as Nightmare Eclipse has disclosed a new vulnerability in Windows, named ShieldBreak, which allows hackers to gain full access to user devices. This release comes despite Microsoft's previous legal threats regarding the disclosure of zero-day vulnerabilities. The flaw exploits Windows Defender, requiring it to be enabled for the attack to succeed.
This new exploit follows an earlier one, RoguePlanet, which Microsoft had patched. However, Nightmare Eclipse claims that the patch was inadequate, allowing for a complete bypass. Microsoft has not yet issued a fix for ShieldBreak, which is categorized as a zero-day due to its public disclosure before a patch was available.