computer

Fri
05
Mar
John Lister's picture

Single Character Could Crash Windows PC

A single character from ancient English could crash a Windows 10 PC, thanks to an odd security glitch. It's been patched in the most recent Windows updates, making it an important fix for those who download updates manually. The bug appears to work ... in most major browsers and involves the Æ symbol. If that isn't clear on your device, it's the symbol that looks like a capital A in italics squashed into a capital E. The symbol, sometimes called "ash" in English, has been used to designate specific sounds in several language over the past few thousand years. In old English it was a sound ...<a href="/news/10902/single-character-could-crash-windows-pc" class="more-link">view more

Mon
19
Oct
John Lister's picture

Windows 10 Start Up Process To Change

Microsoft is to warn Windows 10 users when an app will start up automatically when they start their computer. The move is designed to prevent the start up process being slowed down against the user's wishes. Users already have the ability to ... manually decide whether an app starts up automatically when they switch on their computer. The change is to the way apps are set when they are originally installed. Which apps should start up automatically is a balancing act. With some it's important to start up automatically for functionality purposes, such as having anti-malware software running right ... (view more)

Mon
24
Aug
John Lister's picture

Windows 8.1 Users Must Install Emergency Patch

Windows 8.1 users should make sure to install an emergency patch just released by Microsoft. The company rates the risk as critical based more on the potential consequences than the risk of exploitation. The bug is patched with a security update ... that has the reference KB4578013. It affects all versions of Windows 8.1 along with Windows Server 2012. The bug doesn't affect Windows 10. In theory it could affect Windows 7 and earlier, but Microsoft no longer patches those systems as they are no longer supported. (Source: microsoft.com ) The fix comes in an "out of band security update", commonly ... (view more)

Wed
15
Jul
John Lister's picture

Windows 10 May Get Key Security Boost

Microsoft is testing a new Windows 10 security measure that could neutralize a malware technique. It's called Kernel Data Protection and will protect part of a computer's memory from tampering. The idea is to protect two key software parts of a ... computer: the operating system kernel and drivers. The kernel is the most central part of a system and acts a little like a central command point, deciding what the computer does at any precise moment. Meanwhile, drivers control the way the operating system communicates and interacts with hardware devices. Within the computer's memory, the kernel is ... (view more)

Tue
12
May
John Lister's picture

Thunderbolt Flaw Could Bypass Security, Encryption

A researcher has found a major bug with Thunderbolt port technology that could undermine major security measures on multiple computer systems. There's a big mitigating factor though: an attacker would need extended physical access to the computer in ... order to carry out the exploit. Thunderbolt is a technology that is similar in concept to USB, but adds fiber optic to the usual copper wires. Compared to USB, Thunderbolt has high speed and capacity. Common uses include super-fast device charging (including laptops), 4K video, and extremely quick data transfers. Originally Thunderbolt was only ... (view more)

Tue
28
Apr
John Lister's picture

Major Antivirus Flaw Deletes Files, Corrupts Windows

A security company says it found a simple way to turn antivirus software into a weapon for attackers. Most major manufacturers have now fixed the problem, but it's a reminder to keep such software updated. The discovery by Rack911 Labs effectively ... meant that a hacker could force the antivirus software to delete files on a computer. That would mean the hacker would need to have gained access to a computer first - whether internally on a network, or remotely using malware. The exploit is based on one of the most fundamental actions of any antivirus software: they scan files, check if they are a ... (view more)

Thu
12
Dec
John Lister's picture

Critical: Font Bug Affects All Versions of Windows

A bug in the way Windows handles fonts could leave computers open to a "drive-by attack" - as long as the machine is connected to the Internet. It's among the vulnerabilities fixed in the latest Windows security update. All versions of Windows are ... affected . The bug involves the way Windows deals with embedded fonts. An embedded font means that the document includes the code for the font itself. It's generally used where a document or web page designer wants users to see a specific font that's not widely installed on computers. The bug means an embedded font could be coded in a way ... (view more)

Thu
28
Nov
John Lister's picture

Firefox to Fight 'Fingerprinting' Tracking

Mozilla is to block "fingerprinting" tracking in the Firefox browser. It's an alternative tracking technique to cookies and doesn't require any consent from users. Most people know about cookies, which involves sites putting a small file on a ... computer to either identify a user for future visits or track their online activity. In most cases cookies both legally and practically need consent from the user before they can be issued. Fingerprinting is a more creative technique that doesn't require consent and has proven harder to block. It's all based around the fact that a website is able to ... (view more)

Fri
01
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

How to Fix: Disable Controllers in Kodi 18 (Leia)

Infopackets Reader Jerry F. writes: " Dear Dennis, I recently upgraded Kodi media player on my PC from Kodi Krypton (version 17) to Kodi Leia (version 18). It seems that this latest update is now interfering with my Xbox 360 controller. Let me ... explain. For years, I've been using a program called Xpadder with my Xbox 360 controller on my PC, which allows me to map keys (and mouse functionality) to my controller. In this case I've configured it a specific way so that I can use my controller like a mouse which allows me to use it for Windows functions, plus I can use it to control Kodi the way I ... (view more)

Wed
30
Oct
John Lister's picture

New Malware Hides Inside Audio Files

Most people know not to open an executable file or document attached to an email unless they were expecting it. But a new example of malware means even an audio file could trigger a payload. Researchers at Blackberry Cylance Threat recently ... uncovered malicious code hidden inside WAV files. That's a computer format for audio that was common for music on PCs before MP3 became established. The attackers are using a technique called steganography, which is a way to hide a file inside another file in a way that normally cannot be detected. Steganography has previously been used in image files, and ... (view more)

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