Process Isolation
An important hidden UAC feature that also significantly reduces the Vista attack surface is User Interface Privilege Isolation. UIPI provides process isolation by ensuring that processes running in the security context of a limited-account user can't interfere with processes running in the security context of a privileged-account user.
UIPI protects against shatter attacks, during which malicious mobile code (e.g., worms, viruses, Trojan horses) running in the security context of a limited-account user leverages the Windows interprocess messaging system to inject malicious code into a process that runs in the security context of a privileged-account user. In previous Windows versions, shatter attacks are possible because any process can send a message to any other process running on the same desktop (Windows doesn't provide source authentication for interprocess messages) and because, too often, applications are written to run in the security context of privileged-account users. For more information about UAC process isolation and UIPI, see the Microsoft article "Developer Best Practices and Guidelines for Applications in a Least Privileged Environment" (http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/default.aspx?pull=/library/en-us/dnlong/html/accprotvista.asp). . . .
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