Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson

The Microsoft 365 Defender Research Team has shared details of several high-severity vulnerabilities found in a mobile framework used in popular apps associated with a number of big names.

The framework is owned by mce Systems, and is used in apps from numerous mobile providers. The apps -- from the likes of AT&T, Rogers Communications and Bell Canada -- are often pre-installed on Android handsets, but they have also been downloaded millions of times. If exploited, the vulnerabilities allow for local or remote attacks, including command injection and privilege escalation attacks.

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In a move that will please -- and surprise -- many, Microsoft has added WSL 2 distro support to Windows Server.

The new Windows Subsystem for Linux functionality is not available by default, as it requires the installation of a special update. This will be officially released on Patch Tuesday, but it is also available as a preview right now for anyone who does not want to wait.

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Trend Micro has issued a warning about the preview of the KB5014019 update for Windows 11, released by Microsoft a few days ago.

The security firm says that it is aware of a compatibility issue between the update and "the User Mode Hooking (UMH) component of several Trend Micro endpoint solutions". The problems affect both Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022.

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Broadcom has struck a deal with VMware that will see the chipmaker buying the cloud and virtualization software firm for around $61 billion in cash and stock. As part of the acquisition, Broadcom will also take on $8 billion of VMware's net debt.

When the deal is complete, Broadcom Software Group will rebrand and operate as VMware. As part of Broadcom, the new VMware will, the company says, "offer enterprise customers greater choice and flexibility to address the most complex IT infrastructure challenges".

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Windows 11 users have been eagerly awaiting the release of the first feature update for the operating system. Due for release later this year, we already know quite a lot about the Sun Valley 2 update, but information posted in Microsoft's Hardware Certification portal reveals more.

We already knew that Sun Valley 2 is due for release in the second half of the year -- hence the fact it is also known as Windows 11 version 22H2. But posts relating to the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program not only reveal the build number of the RTM version, but also gives us a better idea of when we can expect Sun Valley to be released.

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Having already introduced a new subscription management feature to the Accounts section of Settings, Microsoft is taking things further with the release of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25126.

The latest build has just been launched on the Dev Channel, and it sees the roll out of new account settings page improvements as well as numerous fixes. The change in Settings means that it is easier to see details of all supported Office perpetual products linked to your account, in addition to Microsoft 365 subscriptions

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Many internet users with concerns about online privacy have turned to DuckDuckGo with the impression that the browser will enable them to enjoy the web without having their activity tracked. But a discovery by a security researcher reveals that things are not as private as users would have hoped and expected.

DuckDuckGo was spotted allowing data to be transmitted via Microsoft trackers to LinkedIn and Bing ad domains. What's more, DuckDuckGo admits that an agreement exists between itself and Microsoft that allows trackers from the Windows-maker on third-party sites.

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For Windows 11 users who like to live on the edge, Microsoft has released a preview version of the KB5014019 update that will be made available to a wider audience when Patch Tuesday next rolls around.

This is an optional, non-security update, that not only addresses a number of problems that have emerged in the operating system, but also introduces Windows spotlight on the desktop which Microsoft says "brings the world to your desktop with new background pictures". There are also tweaks to Widgets, and improvements to the Family Safety verification experience.

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Among the plethora of announcements to come out of Build 2022, Microsoft had quite a bit of news relating to the Microsoft Store in Windows 11. With a sly dig at rivals, the company pointed out that developers are able to use their own in-app commerce engines and retain one hundred percent of revenue. But the announcements about what is new are far more noteworthy.

While developers and users alike will welcome full Microsoft Store support for Win32 apps, news about the arrival of Microsoft Store Ads is likely to prove more divisive. But this is not the end of the Store-related announcements.

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In addition to revealing that Windows 11 users can look forward to installing third-party widgets later this year, Microsoft also used Build 2022 to announce Project Volterra.

Project Volterra is a developer-focused device powered by a Snapdragon processor, which looks remarkably similar to a Mac Mini. Featuring an integrated neural processing unit, the developer device will provide, Microsoft devs, opportunities to explore various AI scenarios.

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At its Build 2022 event, Microsoft confirmed what we have heard rumored for some time -- that third-party widgets will soon be making their way to Windows 11.

Although the company has not given an exact date, it says that "later this year" it will be possible for developers to start building their own widgets. It is possible -- probable, even -- that this will be linked to the release of the Sun Valley 2 feature update for Windows 11 in the coming months.

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Some seven-and-a-half months after the original release, Microsoft has announced that Windows 11 is now "designated for broad deployment".

We use the word "announced" fairly loosely here; the revelation was made in a status change on the release health page for Windows 11. It means that any computer that meets the minimum requirements will now be offered the upgrade, and it lays the groundwork for the rollout of Windows 11 22H2 in the coming months.

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The updates released for Windows in May have been incredibly problematic. The KB5013943 update has been causing various issues, one of which has forced Microsoft to push out emergency to fix things.

There are several out-of-band patches fixes available as the authentication issue they address affect various versions of Windows. In all, there are no fewer than eight patches available: KB5014986, KB5014987, KB5014990, KB5014991, KB5015013, KB5015018, KB5015019 and KB5015020.

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The arrival of Windows Subsystem for Linux in Windows 10 and Windows 11 opened up a world of new opportunities for users of Linux-based distros. Until now, Ubuntu fans have been limited to installing Long Term Supported (LTS) releases, but this is changing.

Recognizing that there are plenty of people who like to be on the cutting edge, Canonical has announced that preview builds of Ubuntu will now also be made available to download and install from the Microsoft Store.

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Following the release of this month's Patch Tuesday updates, Microsoft has issued a warning that installing the KB5013943 update can lead to authentication issues for various Windows services.

The update was released on May 10, and was meant to -- among other things -- fix an issue with screen flicker in Safe Mode. But in addition to causing error messages for some users, the KB5013943 update has also led to authentication failures Windows domain controllers.

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