Bottom line: DeepZero's automated vulnerability scanning can help organizations identify and remediate thousands of previously undiscovered vulnerabilities in Windows kernel drivers.
What's happening: Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed DeepZero, an open-source tool that scans Windows kernel drivers for vulnerabilities. DeepZero was first released on August 31, 2022, and has since been updated to scan for additional vulnerabilities, including those in the Windows kernel itself. The tool has been used to discover over 1,000 new vulnerabilities in Windows kernel drivers.
What to do: Security leaders should consider integrating DeepZero into their vulnerability management workflows to identify and remediate vulnerable Windows kernel drivers. The Open Source Security Foundation (OSSF) report noted that DeepZero's use of a language model increases its effectiveness in identifying vulnerabilities. Organizations should also review their pipeline customization options to ensure they are leveraging the tool's full potential.