Source code is the set of instructions and statements, later translated into machine language that runs a piece of software or an operating system. Code is usually the best-kept secret of technology companies, but Microsoft had a vulnerability and couldn't fully protect it.
At the moment, experts have not been able to determine which parts of the source code repositories were hacked. There is also information that such an attack was carried out by people who gained access to SolarWind's data and hacked government systems with its help.
Microsoft has previously reported that it found malicious versions of SolarWinds software on its network, but this incident is new. Last week, the company already knew that cybercriminals managed to gain access to classified data.
The SolarWinds hack is one of the most extensive cyberattacks ever disclosed, threatening dozens of federal agencies and possibly thousands of other organizations.
If we consider Microsoft's products' ubiquity, including Office, the change in source code could have potentially catastrophic consequences, but the company assures that hackers have not taken such action.
However, even a simple study of the code can help attackers use it in the future as a tool to disable the company's products and services.
According to Microsoft, the hackers did not gain access to production services or customer data.