Microsoft updates Windows Terminal preview with multiple panes and tab re-ordering
With the latest release of the Linux-inspired Windows Terminal preview, Microsoft just made the app a whole lot more useful and user-friendly.
The addition of a multi-pane option to Windows Terminal v0.7 means that it is now possible to run two terminals side by side -- something that will be appreciated by many users. Other changes include the arrival of tab re-ordering, and a thinning of the border around Terminal.
Microsoft .NET Framework Repair Tool updated to support new versions
Microsoft published an updated version of the company's .NET Framework Repair Tool this week; the new version supports newer versions of the Microsoft .NET Framework, in particular versions 4.6.2, 4.7, 4.7.1, 4.7.2 and 4.8, which older versions did not support.
Administrators may download the latest version of the application from the Microsoft website. The list of supported .Net Framework versions is available on the same page and links are provided to download these to the local system (which is useful when the program is run in offline mode).
Microsoft teams up with chipmakers to create Secured-core PCs with unhackable firmware
Microsoft is partnering with PC manufacturers and chip-makers on a new initiative designed to make systems with firmware that cannot be hacked.
Called Secured-core PCs, the systems apply the security best practices of isolation and minimal trust to the firmware layer. This helps to protect systems from low-level interference by malicious code.
Windows users can now protect their accounts with Yubico security keys
Yubico, a company best known for its hardware security keys, launched a new application for Microsoft's Windows operating system this week called Yubico Login.
The free software adds another layer of security to the local login process on Windows machines to better protect the system from unauthorized access.
Modified PcShare backdoor replaces Windows Narrator to gain full control of systems
Security researchers have discovered a modified version of the open source backdoor PcShare which seems to originate from a Chinese advanced persistent threat (APT) group.
The malware has been used to target technology firms, and it is deployed via side-loading by a legitimate NVIDIA application. As part of the attack, a Trojanized version of Windows' Narrator screen reading tool is used to gain remote access to systems without the need for credentials.
Microsoft quietly fixes SWAPGS processor vulnerability to protect Windows users
It has been revealed that Microsoft silently pushed out a patch to Windows users to fix a vulnerability that affected Intel CPUs produced since 2012 -- which means everything post Ivy Bridge chips.
The SWAPGS vulnerability is similar to the now-famous Spectre and Meltdown chip flaws, and was discovered by security firm Bitdefender a year ago; the fact that it has now been patched was only revealed at the BlackHat security conference. Red Hat says that an update to the Linux kernel is needed to protect against the flaw which it says affects both Intel and AMD chips, although Bitdefender has not been able to find any issues with AMD's processors.
'Critical' vulnerability discovered in VLC on Linux and Windows -- but VideoLAN says it is not reproducible
Reports have emerged of a security bug in the Windows and Linux versions of VLC, making it vulnerable to remote-code execution via malicious videos. But although German and American security experts have branded the flaw as "critical", VLC-maker VideoLAN is downplaying things.
In fact, more than downplaying the vulnerability, VideoLAN is flat-out denying that it exists, with the software developer dismissing it as "fake news". [UPDATE: the vulnerability has now been pretty much debunked]
Microsoft sneaks telemetry into Windows 7 via security update
Microsoft appears to be at it again, adding telemetry components into its operating system. This time around it is Windows 7 that gets the telemetry treatment, and Microsoft seems to have gone about things in a rather sneaky fashion.
The latest "security-only" update for Windows 7 includes a Compatibility Appraiser element (KB2952664) which performs checks to see whether a system can be updated to Windows 10. Hardly what most people would consider a security-only update. So what's going on?
Microsoft announces Windows 1.0
The new season of Stranger Things starts on Netflix this Thursday -- July 4th -- and is being described by reviewers as a return to form, great news for anyone who felt a bit let down by season 2.
The new season is set in 1985, a year which gave us the Live Aid concerts, New Coke, Calvin and Hobbes, Back to the Future, and the first version of Microsoft Windows.
Windows Terminal preview now available to download
At its Build 2019 developer conference earlier this year, Microsoft revealed the Linux-inspired Windows Terminal, which gives access to the Command Prompt, PowerShell, and WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) in one place.
The code has been available to download and compile for a little while, but now Microsoft has released a ready-made Windows Terminal app for anyone to try out.
Security flaw in Dell SupportAssist tool puts millions of Windows systems at risk
A Windows support tool bundled with Dell computers has a high-severity security hole that leaves millions of systems at risk of a privilege-escalation attack.
Dell has announced that both the Business and Home versions of its SupportAssist tool have a security vulnerability within the PC Doctor component that requires immediate patching. The discovery was made by SafeBreach, and there could be over 100 million systems that are affected.
Microsoft releases Chromium-based Edge for Windows 7 and 8.x
After embracing the Chromium engine for Edge, Microsoft is gradually expanding the number of platforms the browser is available for.
Starting off as a Windows 10 browser and then spreading to macOS, there is currently talk of Linux being in Microsoft's sights. For now, however, it is Windows 7 and 8 users who are the latest to have Microsoft Edge available as a browser option.
Organizations urged to patch for BlueKeep as latest malware charts are revealed
Check Point Research, has released its Global Threat Index for May 2019 and is warning organizations to check and patch for the BlueKeep Microsoft RDP flaw in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 machines, to prevent the risk of it being exploited for ransomware and cryptomining attacks.
BlueKeep affects nearly a million machines accessible to the public internet and many more within organizations' networks. The vulnerability is critical because it requires no user interaction in order to be exploited. RDP is already an established, popular attack vector which has been used to install ransomware.
BlueKeep Windows vulnerability is so serious, even the NSA wants you to patch your system
It's around three weeks since Microsoft first urged Windows users to patch their systems against the BlueKeep (CVE-2019-0708) vulnerability. Concerned that not enough people were taking notice, the company then issued a further warning stressing the importance of installing a patch.
Now the NSA has got involved, joining Microsoft in begging users to secure their Windows XP and Windows 7 computers. The agency says that is "concerned that malicious cyber actors will use the vulnerability in ransomware and exploit kits containing other known exploits, increasing capabilities against other unpatched systems".
Microsoft releases first preview of PowerShell 7 and sets out feature roadmap
Having already announced that PowerShell 7 will be the next version of PowerShell, Microsoft has released the first public preview. For the first time, PowerShell is based on .NET Core 3.0.
The command-line shell and scripting language is set to be updated on a monthly basis, so we can expect a few more preview versions before it hits general availability around a month after .NET Core 3.0. As well as releasing this first preview, Microsoft has also shared details of the PowerShell 7 roadmap.
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