Definition
Plain language
A long-standing Microsoft framework that lets Windows programs expose functionality to each other through standardized interfaces.
As stated in the literature
Component Object Model, Microsoft's binary interface standard for software components, widely used by Windows services exposing methods through registered interfaces.
Also called: Windows COM
Why it matters: Its decades of accumulated surface area is rich hunting ground for security researchers, including AI agents looking for race conditions and privilege bugs.
For example, the Windows Shell, Office automation, and many printer drivers all expose their functionality through COM interfaces that other programs can call.
Heard on the show
“… the system that found them is the subject of a paper called "Agentic Vulnerability Reasoning on Windows COM Binaries," posted to arXiv on May sixth, twenty-twenty-six — we're recording the day after. …”Episode 024 — An AI Agent That Found 28 Zero-Days in Windows — And What Made It Work