Windows

Microsoft recommends you ignore Microsoft-recommended update

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– Microsoft recommends you ignore Microsoft-recommended update:

Left hand quits trying to meet right hand, waves at customers saying ‘don’t break Skype’

Earlier this month, Microsoft gave the world .NET Framework 4.7 and urged users to install it for the usual reasons: more fun bits to play with and a security improvements.

But two days later the company urged Exchange users not to install it ASAP, because it hadn’t validated it yet. Last Friday – 10 days after the launch of the new code – it reminded users of Lync and Skype for Business not to install it either.

Read moreMicrosoft recommends you ignore Microsoft-recommended update

Jim Stone: WHAT I HAVE NEXT IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT (THAN ANY “TERROR ATTACK” IN PARIS)

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red-alert

– WHAT I HAVE NEXT IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT:

MICROSOFT IS FORCING VEILED UPDATES ONTO COMPUTERS THAT ARE NOT WEB CONNECTED. MICROSOFT IS DOING THIS VIA UNAUTHORIZED WIFI AND CELL CONNECTIONS, EVEN WITH COMPUTERS THAT ARE COMPLETELY ISOLATED WITH PHYSICAL LOCKUP, AND THE OPERATING SYSTEMS REMAIN LOOKING NORMAL DESPITE BEING CHANGED.

Via ANY visible WIFI connection, even ones your computer is not authorized to access, a secret operating system is being rammed onto everyone’s computer RIGHT NOW and changing the operating system to something new. This is happening EVEN IF WINDOWS INSTALLER IS DISABLED AND UPDATES ARE DISABLED, AND THE COMPUTER ITSELF HAS NO INTERNET ACCESS OF ITS OWN. Even if you have never logged onto your neighbor’s wifi and never asked to, EVEN IF YOU NEVER LAUNCH A BROWSER, the operating systems are coming in, and installing themselves IN SECRET. Once the hijacking operating system is installed, I suspect the computers then upload their entire contents to a remote server that commands them to.

I HAVE PROOF, READ THE MAIN REPORT BELOW. THIS IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY “TERROR ATTACK” IN PARIS, WHICH IS PROBABLY JUST ANOTHER PHONY OR FALSE FLAG ANYWAY.

Read moreJim Stone: WHAT I HAVE NEXT IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT (THAN ANY “TERROR ATTACK” IN PARIS)

Even when told not to, Windows 10 just can’t stop talking to Microsoft

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– Even when told not to, Windows 10 just can’t stop talking to Microsoft (Ars Technica, Aug 13, 2015):

It’s no wonder that privacy activists are up in arms.

Windows 10 uses the Internet a lot to support many of its features. The operating system also sports numerous knobs to twiddle that are supposed to disable most of these features and the potentially privacy-compromising connections that go with them.

Unfortunately for privacy advocates, these controls don’t appear to be sufficient to completely prevent the operating system from going online and communicating with Microsoft’s servers.

For example, even with Cortana and searching the Web from the Start menu disabled, opening Start and typing will send a request to www.bing.com to request a file called threshold.appcache which appears to contain some Cortana information, even though Cortana is disabled. The request for this file appears to contain a random machine ID that persists across reboots.

Read moreEven when told not to, Windows 10 just can’t stop talking to Microsoft

China May Unveil Homegrown OS Rivals To Windows, Google And Apple

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– China may unveil homegrown OS rivals to Windows, Google and Apple (RT, Aug 25, 2014):

Following revelations of America’s National Security Agency’s global internet surveillance system, combined with a desire to enhance domestic production, China is beating a path towards unveiling its own operating systems in October.

The Chinese-made substitutes would first be introduced on desktop devices, later expanding to include smartphones and other hand-held devices, Ni Guangnan heads an official operating system development alliance established in March, Xinhau reported at the weekend.

“We hope to launch a Chinese-made desktop operating system by October supporting app stores,” Ni told the trade paper.

Read moreChina May Unveil Homegrown OS Rivals To Windows, Google And Apple

Microsoft Includes Windows XP Users In Internet Explorer Fix

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– Microsoft includes XP users in Internet Explorer fix (BBC News, May 2, 2014):

Microsoft has said users of its Windows XP operating system will also get the security update it has issued to fix a flaw in the Internet Explorer browser.

It issued the update on Thursday to fix a bug that let hackers gain access and user rights to computers.

Read moreMicrosoft Includes Windows XP Users In Internet Explorer Fix

Hackers Find First Post-Retirement Windows XP-Related Vulnerability

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– Hackers find first post-retirement Windows XP-related vulnerability (Computerworld, April 27, 2014):

Internet Explorer 6, 7 and 8 arent being exploited yet, but harbor a critical flaw

Computerworld – Microsoft on Saturday told customers that cyber-criminals are exploiting an unpatched and critical vulnerability in Internet Explorer (IE) using “drive-by” attacks.

“Microsoft is aware of limited, targeted attacks that attempt to exploit a vulnerability in Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7, Internet Explorer 8, Internet Explorer 9, Internet Explorer 10, and Internet Explorer 11,” the company said in a security advisory.

Read moreHackers Find First Post-Retirement Windows XP-Related Vulnerability

Windows XP: Microsoft’s Ticking Time Bomb

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– Windows XP: Microsoft’s ticking time bomb (PC Pro, Dec 19,2013):

Shona Ghosh examines the security threat posed by Microsoft’s decision to end support for its 12-year-old OS in April

The final deadline for Windows XP support will act as a starting pistol for hackers, as they target hundreds of millions of users on unpatched systems.

Microsoft has already granted the 12-year-old OS several stays of execution, but the firm has said it will finally end extended support on 8 April 2014 – despite the fact that XP remains the second-most popular OS, with almost a third of PCs running it.

Read moreWindows XP: Microsoft’s Ticking Time Bomb

Microsoft Update and The Nightmare Scenario

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– Microsoft Update and The Nightmare Scenario (F-Secure, May 4, 2012):

About 900 million Windows computers get their updates from Microsoft Update. In addition to the DNS root servers, this update system has always been considered one of the weak points of the net. Antivirus people have nightmares about a variant of malware spoofing the update mechanism and replicating via it.

Turns out, it looks like this has now been done. And not by just any malware, but by Flame.

The full mechanism isn’t yet completely analyzed, but Flame has a module which appears to attempt to do a man-in-the-middle attack on the Microsoft Update or Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) system. If successful, the attack drops a file called WUSETUPV.EXE to the target computer.

This file is signed by Microsoft with a certificate that is chained up to Microsoft root.

Except it isn’t signed really by Microsoft.

Read moreMicrosoft Update and The Nightmare Scenario