Surface RT Hack to allow installation of x86 Desktop Applications

[TheHateMachine]

If any of you folks have a Surface you might like this.

Some of the people over at XDA have been hard at work exploiting a vulnerability in Windows 8 Signing. They haven't even able to modify the Windows RT image as the UEFI bootloader stops a modified unsigned installation of Windows from booting on the Surface. However a clever individual named clokr has figured out where this information resides in memory and you can edit it from there. Problem is after a reboot you have to do it again. So a user by the name of Netham45 has created a batch file that you run and it does it all for you. Last piece of the puzzle is running the source code of the program you want through a recompiler and compiling it for ARM processors. Luckily the people at XDA are hard at work recompiling popular apps.

Here is a link to the exploit.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2092158

Here is a link to a list of recompiled apps with any bugs they will have.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2092348

So far the app list is fairly meager but a VNC client and BOCHS (A DOS Emulator) have been done so far. This is getting fairly exciting.

I have done it on mine and it is really easy. You hit yes to install a developer license and then after it does its thing you hit Volume Down to find the entry in memory and it finishes out. From that point on you can run recompiled x86 applications.

 

[ChazUK]

Excellent news.

This could add infinitely more value to the RT. Developers should be able to do some good thinks worth this.

 

[TheHateMachine]

Excellent news.

This could add infinitely more value to the RT. Developers should be able to do some good thinks worth this.

Yea, I have written some applications for my desktop and I believe I will try to port them over tonight.

 

[Rodster]

Yea, I have written some applications for my desktop and I believe I will try to port them over tonight.

If Microsoft has any brains they'd look the other way on this exploit unless the exploit runs the risk of compromising the system i.e. virus. The RT needs all the sales help it can get but with Ballmer running the show, who knows.

 

[spinedoc77]

If Microsoft has any brains they'd look the other way on this exploit unless the exploit runs the risk of compromising the system i.e. virus. The RT needs all the sales help it can get but with Ballmer running the show, who knows.

Nah, of they have brains they will just let RT die quickly and quietly.

 

[jav6454]

This is good. Surface is fine and all, but the lack of applications is killing it.

 

[chrfr]

If Microsoft has any brains they'd look the other way on this exploit unless the exploit runs the risk of compromising the system i.e. virus.

Of course it's highly likely that this could turn into a security issue in short order.

 

[Liquorpuki]

I read MS is aware of it and commended the hackers but is planning to patch it

I honestly don't know why

 

[ChazUK]

I read MS is aware of it and commended the hackers but is planning to patch it

I honestly don't know why

Windows App store.

If people start bypassing that easily and start distributing applications outside the app store, there goes MS's 30%.