Items tagged with Windows
When we think of the National Security Agency (NSA) and cybersecurity, we think of the intelligence agency’s grab bag of security exploits that it uses to enhance its own spying efforts. But one particular remote code execution exploit, which has been dubbed BlueKeep, has the NSA actually warning Windows users to patch their systems immediately. "This is the type of vulnerability that malicious cyber actors frequently exploit through the use of software code that specifically targets the vulnerability," writes the NSA. "NSA is concerned that malicious cyber actors will use the vulnerability in ransomware and exploit kits containing other known exploits, increasing capabilities against...
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Earlier this month, we brought you news of an incredibly nasty remote code execution vulnerability affecting Windows systems; specifically, Windows 7, Windows Server, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, and even the ancient Windows XP. Microsoft in fact was so worried about this WannaCry-style malware that it even pushed out a patch for Windows XP; an operating system that has been officially supported for years. At the time, Microsoft stated, "It is important that affected systems are patched as quickly as possible to prevent such a scenario from happening. In response, we are taking the unusual step of providing a security update for all customers to protect Windows platforms,...
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Many companies are currently working on a wide variety of gaming services. Cox Cable has now thrown their hat into the ring and is currently testing a gaming network service that would reduce lag, ping spikes, and jitter. Cox Cable’s “Elite Gamer Service” reportedly speeds up the connection between the player and desired gaming server. The Elite Gamer Service is not a “fast lane” service and does not “prioritize Internet use”. It relies on WTFast technology to find the shortest available route to send data. The company insists that they do not plan on introducing any “fast lane” services in the future. Cox claims that that service will produce...
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Few things are more annoying than when a Windows update wreaks havoc on your system. It's a case of the cure being worse than the disease, as Ray Stevens sang about in his comical song "Doctor Doctor (Have Mercy On Me)." We saw this play out recently when it was reported that a Patch Tuesday roll out was causing boot problems on some systems with certain antivirus software installed, and the list of affected AV software appears to be growing. Image Source: Flickr via Rory Finneren Originally, Microsoft only said that the update was conflicting with some machines that have Sophos Endpoint Protection installed. Sophos also acknowledged the problem, saying it had received reports of PCs failing...
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Another day, another update fiasco that Microsoft and its partners must battle through. Earlier this week, Microsoft issued another round of monthly “Patch Tuesday” updates, but things didn’t go so swiftly for those that have Sophos Endpoint Protection installed on their systems. Sophos acknowledged the problem on its support website this morning, writing, “Sophos has received reports of computers failing to boot. Sophos is actively investigating this issue and will update this article when more information is available.” According to Sophos, all versions of its Endpoint and server licenses are affected. In addition, the Patch Tuesday updates are causing widespread...
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Huawei has seen massive growth in the smartphone market in part because prices for Apple and Samsung devices have soared. Huawei is very popular outside of the U.S., but the company has virtually no marketshare inside the U.S. due to the government urging carriers not to offer its devices over fears of spying. In January 2019, the U.S. DOJ filed criminal charges against Huawei for alleged trade secret theft, bank fraud, and obstruction of justice. Huawei has now filed suit against the U.S. government over product bans in the States. Despite Huawei fighting the U.S. government in court, the company is preparing for the worst. The worst-case scenario for its products isn't that the ban of its devices...
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Microsoft started talking up the Your Phone app that lets you share content and control some phone functions between your PC and smartphone last summer. Now that the app is available for users, a new feature is rolling out that is only currently supported on a handful of devices. The feature is called Phone Screen and lets you mirror the screen of your supported smartphone to the Your Phone app on the PC. When the feature is active, users can interact with the apps on their computer screen using the mouse and keyboard. To access the functionality, PC users do need to be running the latest Windows 10 19H1 Preview Build (18335 or higher), you must be on the Surface Go, and using a small subset...
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If you're still hanging on to the Windows 7 operating system on your rig, Microsoft wants you to abandon ship and upgrade to Windows 10 as soon as possible. Windows 7 was first released on July 22nd 2009, which was nearly a decade ago. The operating system proved very popular following the disappointment of Windows Vista, and was quickly adopted by both consumers and businesses. That popularity has been a double-edged sword for Microsoft. The performance, stability, and overall ubiquity of Windows 7 has led many to simply stick with the OS over upgrading to the [long forgotten] Windows 8/8.1 operating system and even the current Windows 10. But with support for Windows 7 coming...
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If you're running a version of Windows IoT Core, you'll want to pay attention to the latest vulnerability discovered by Dor Azouri, a researcher for SafeBreach. The risk of leaving the bug unpatched is great, but fortunately, most of the Windows ecosystem is safe. Even the IoT Enterprise version is safe from this bug; only those using the free IoT Core on their DIY devices (eg: Raspberry Pi) will need to take action. The issue lays with IoT Core's Sirep Test service, which allows users to perform tests on given hardware. The researcher discovered that this service could be used to reveal a remote command line interface which could be used to exploit the system. Once compromised, an attacker would...
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We have a special treat for you today, folks. Back in August, we brought you news about a Windows 95 "app" that was developed by Felix Rieseberg using Electron. The Windows 95 port was mostly a faithful recreation of the original groundbreaking PC operating system complete with playable classics like Minesweeper and Solitaire. Rieseberg is now back with Windows 95 version 2.0. Whereas the first release was pretty barebones, v2.0 ups the stakes with period-correct applications like Frontpage and the Netscape Navigator 2.01 web browser. For those that want to get your fix with some nostalgic gaming, you'll find Doom, Wolfenstein 3D, A10 Tank Killer and Grand Prix Circuit preinstalled....
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Are you itching to try Windows 10 preview build 19H2? This quick and simple hack will allow you to test out Windows 10 19H2, even if you missed the Skip Ahead enrollment period. The Skip Ahead ring allows Windows Insiders to switch from the current update preview to the next one. First and foremost, you must already be a Windows Insider to take advantage of this trick. If you are a Windows Insider, first launch the registry editor. Insiders should then navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ WindowsSelfHost\UI\Selection You will then need to double-click on “UIContentType” and change it to “Skip”. You should then find “UIRing” and change it to...
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Microsoft continues to beat the Windows 10 drum, but many holdouts are still refusing to dance. Windows 10 has only recently surpassed Windows 7's marketshare, nearly 4 years into its life cycle. While we here at HotHardware like Windows 10 and its forward looking features, there is no denying the well-earned popularity of Windows 7. Microsoft is left with taking a heavy-handed approach to "motivate" users to upgrade. Microsoft's latest action is to neuter Windows Media Center and Windows Media Player for its older operating systems. The changes will not affect basic playback, navigation, or streaming. Instead, metadata services will be discontinued. The metadata service delivers information...
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Microsoft's Surface Pro line of devices have been increasing in popularity, as witnessed by the company's fifth-place showing in U.S. PC sales. However, problems for some Surface Pro 4 owners started creeping up after an update that was issued on July 26 which negatively impacted the touchscreen on the device. Many users flocked to Microsoft Answers to complain about problems with their devices after applying the update. On a Microsoft Answers thread dedicated to the problem, over 600 people are posting similar issues, and there are some responses from Microsoft in the mix. One of the posters in the thread,BryanH_[MSFT], wrote that Microsoft was officially investigating the touchscreen issue...
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One of the things Microsoft has been pushing since Windows 8/8.1 is touchscreen operation. Hardware makers are on board too, which is why there are so many 2-in-1 and convertible devices mixing it up with traditional clam shell laptops. But is there a security trade off? At least one researcher thinks so after discovering disturbing behavior on touchscreen-enabled Windows 10 PCs. Barnaby Skeggs, an experienced incident responder and digital forensic analyst, claims that Windows 10 PCs with a touchscreen may drop sensitive information into a special file, when the handwriting recognition feature is enabled. Red Team Tip: Have a shell on a Windows PC with a touch screen? Search for passwords in...
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