Microsoft Urges Users to Shut Down Windows Gadgets or Risk Attack

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    Microsoft Urges Users to Shut Down Windows Gadgets or Risk Attack


    Posted: 11 Jul 2012
    Rather than fix vulnerabilities with Gadgets and the Sidebar in Windows Vista and Windows 7, Microsoft is advising users to disable the features altogether.

    Gadgets and Sidebar allow users to add visual information and small programs to the Windows desktop, including clock faces, music players and RSS feed readers.

    Now, Microsoft has issued a Fix It solution to disable Gadgets and the Sidebar. These features, if left enabled, may allow the execution of arbitrary code, and could allow attackers to take complete control of a person’s system, Microsoft warns in a Knowledge Base article.
    Read more at:
    Microsoft Urges Users to Shut Down Windows Gadgets or Risk Attack | PCWorld


       Note
    If you wish to disable Gadgets, then see:

    Gadgets - Enable or Disable

    Brink's Avatar Posted By: Brink
    11 Jul 2012



  1. Posts : 2,072
    Windows 7 x64 Professional SP1
       #1

    That's hilarious.

    I now somehow feel vindicated for never having bothered with it in the first place and having it off my system from day 1... (Program Features --> Windows Gadget Platform unticked)

    I feel bad for those who use it as part of their daily Windows life though.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 1,533
    Windows 7 Professional x64 Service Pack 1
       #2

    I like to use gadgets like cpu meter, gpu meter, and network meter. They are really good gadgets. I never download any others except those because those are the only gadgets I see useful.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 2,528
    Windows 7 x64 Ultimate
       #3

    Geeze, what next, announcing that the DLing of /any/ third party software is likely to be an unfixable security risk and recommend against it? Maybe even providing a tool to remove all third party software that was not purchased through the Microsoft store for your benefit?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 8,870
    Windows 7 Ult, Windows 8.1 Pro,
       #4

    windude99 said:
    I like to use gadgets like cpu meter, gpu meter, and network meter. They are really good gadgets. I never download any others except those because those are the only gadgets I see useful.
    Exactly and all those useful gadgets are from trusted sources, believe it or not Microsoft we users aren't quite as stupid as you seem to think.

    It's should be quite obvious to all of us that installing ANYTHING from an untrusted source is obviously not very smart. If the gadget function has vulnerabilities then they should be fixed by Microsoft rather than abandoning a very popular feature that millions are already using.

    Msoft please stop trying to tell us what to do. We aren't dummies like you seem to think.

    And if you even think of removing this feature from Windows 8 RTM I can guarantee you that I will never purchase Windows 8, NOT EVER! And I will make sure that all of my clients and friends also won't.

    I've had Enough of this foolishness from Microsoft.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 8,608
    Windows 7 Ultimate 32bit SP1
       #5

    Tell us how you really feel chev65
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 8,870
    Windows 7 Ult, Windows 8.1 Pro,
       #6

    Jacee said:
    Tell us how you really feel chev65
    LOL yep I did, and sometimes the truth is what needs to be said. This push into the cloud has in fact gone too far.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 2,963
    Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit
       #7

    I'm some what confused about what all I have read. Is it really urgent to disable Gadgets or is it just a matter of not installing 3rd party Gadgets (which I have never done)?
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 2,072
    Windows 7 x64 Professional SP1
       #8

    chev65 said:

    LOL yep I did, and sometimes the truth is what needs to be said. This push into the cloud has in fact gone too far.
    Seems like we've got quite a few people here who're anti cloud to an extent. I agree with your sentiments wholeheartedly, my good man.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 21,004
    Desk1 7 Home Prem / Desk2 10 Pro / Main lap Asus ROG 10 Pro 2 laptop Toshiba 7 Pro Asus P2520 7 & 10
       #9

    Some more distrubing reading


    Is there no end to all of this security vulnerabilities in some of the major applications and Windows in particular?

    I am no expert as everyone will know so I don't understand the nitty gritty of a lot of the system / coding design and apart from beginning to find my way around the BIOS and registry stuff I am mainly interested in the hardware side of things.

    So as a layperson for want of a better term are we ever going to be close to having something that is pleasant, easy and safe to use - I mean gadgets for heavens sake!
    Security flaws signal early death of Windows Gadgets | ZDNet
      My Computer


 
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