Recently though I read about a password “bypass” program called Kon-Boot that dynamically replaces the Windows kernel during bootup and allows logging in with any password. I wondered if BitLocker was vulnerable to this kind of program. If a thief could simply log on to my BitLocker-protected system, the encryption would be useless.

So I decided to give it a try.

Caveat:  I have no idea if Kon-Boot can harm a computer and/or upload data. Even with a full backup, there is a risk that it might corrupt the BIOS or otherwise make the computer unusable. Use at your own risk.

BitLocker Kicks Kon-Boot

So I booted Windows 7 with the Kon-Boot disk in the CD drive. BitLocker promptly reported that “the system boot information has changed”:

When I pressed Enter to continue, BitLocker prompted me for my password (Label and ID blacked out):

I didn’t want to actually change the BIOS, so I didn’t provide the password. I got this screen:

After rebooting without the Kon-Boot CD, I got this heart-stopping message:

Had Kon-Boot in fact damaged my system? Fortunately after another reboot, Windows 7 came up fine.