View source for Software:Local Security Authority Subsystem Service

{{Short description|Computer operating system component}}
'''Local Security Authority Subsystem Service''' ('''LSASS''')<ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/security/credentials-protection-and-management/configuring-additional-lsa-protection |title=Configuring Additional LSA Protection |publisher=Microsoft |access-date=2022-02-04}}</ref> is a [[Process (computing)|process]] in [[Software:Microsoft Windows|Microsoft Windows]] [[Operating system|operating system]]s that is responsible for enforcing the security policy on the system.  It verifies users logging on to a Windows computer or server, handles password changes, and creates access tokens.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ss64.com/nt/syntax-services.html |title=Windows 7 Services &#124; Windows CMD |publisher=SS64.com |access-date=2016-05-24}}</ref> It also writes to the Windows Security Log.

Forcible termination of {{mono|lsass.exe}} will result in the system losing access to any account, including NT AUTHORITY, prompting a restart of the machine. Because, {{mono|lsass.exe}} is a crucial system file, its name is often faked by malware. The {{mono|lsass.exe}} file used by Windows is located in the [[Directory (computing)|directory]] {{mono|%WINDIR%\System32}}, and the description of the file is '''Local Security Authority Process'''. If it is running from any other location, that {{mono|lsass.exe}} is most likely a [[Computer virus|virus]], [[Spyware|spyware]], [[Trojan horse (computing)|trojan]] or worm. Due to the way some systems display fonts, malicious developers may name the file something like {{mono|Isass.exe}} (capital "i" instead of a lowercase "L") in efforts to trick users into installing or executing a malicious file instead of the trusted system file.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.errorboss.com/exe-files/lsass-exe/ |title=The Best Way To Remove Lsass.exe Virus - Fix Lsass Process |date=23 December 2014 |publisher=Errorboss.com |access-date=2016-05-24}}</ref> The Sasser worm spreads by exploiting a [[Buffer overflow|buffer overflow]] in the LSASS on [[Software:Windows XP|Windows XP]] and [[Software:Windows 2000|Windows 2000]] operating systems.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc961760.aspx Security Subsystem Architecture]
*[http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa378326%28v=vs.85%29.aspx LSA Authentication]
*[http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/topics/identitymanagement/idmanage/p2pass_1.mspx MS identity management]

{{Windows Components}}

[[Category:Access control software]]
[[Category:Windows components]]

{{Sourceattribution|Local Security Authority Subsystem Service}}