Microsoft Urges Users to Shut Down Windows Gadgets or Risk Attack

[Brink]

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:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3674-gadgets-enable-disable.html

 

[solarmystic]

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.

 

[windude99]

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.

 

[fseal]

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?

 

[chev65]

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.

 

[Jacee]

Tell us how you really feel chev65

 

[chev65]

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.

 

[Petey7]

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)?

 

[solarmystic]

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.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

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

 

[lehnerus2000]

The "Cloud" is "concentrated evil".

I see this as just another dodgy explanation/justification designed to trick people into buying W8.
It's just like "Nobody uses the Start Button".

 

[noobvious]

Well, I only have three gadgets enabled (one being the Seven Forums digital clock), but I am not giving them up...lol.

 

[smarteyeball]

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.

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

lol, I don't know man - there are plenty of users who really have no business being anywhere near a PC

We may not be stupid, but they do have to cater to all users which unfortunately includes the lowest denominators.

I'm keeping my clock though - flap 'em.


However I'm more alarmed at one of the links which claims that they are going to 'remove aero' from 8 and make it more 'Metro', whatever the hell that means - the feck??? I love my eye candy.

 

[King Arthur]

Most of Aero being removed from Windows 8 has been well known for quite a while now. If memory serves, I believe Microsoft themselves also called Aero "cheesy" in favor of Metro and whatever artificial compliments they have for it.

As for the subject at hand, I never used gadgets so this doesn't affect me. However, I also know of people who do use gadgets, and if Windows 8 was a tough sell to them before (and it is) then it'll just become an impossible sell now. Oh well, sucks to be you Microsoft.

 

[pincushion]

Since I do not store anything on the Desktop (no icons at all), have a few apps on the Taskbar but mostly have all the apps I use most (more than thirty) in the AppLauncher gadget together with a number of other gadgets giving me all the information I need at a glance and access to all the functions I need, what exactly could replace all these functions please MS? Have been using them long enough to have had problems - none so far. If forced to stop using them what would others suggest as a replacement system?

:devil: :shock: :devil:

 

[solarmystic]

However I'm more alarmed at one of the links which claims that they are going to 'remove aero' from 8 and make it more 'Metro', whatever the hell that means - the feck??? I love my eye candy.

To be fair, Aero with it's tranparencies and transluscent settings is an energy hog and a drain when you're factoring in mobile computing on tablets, which IS what Microsoft's gunning for with Windows 8, ergo the return to boring,plain ol' looking surfaces...

 

[Trucidation]

They were already killing off Windows Gadgets, and I don't know anyone who uses them - people already use things like Rainmeter that have way more functionality and easier to customize, or simply avoid cluttering their desktops altogether.

Not sure I'm getting what you're trying to say here.

 

[gladson1976]

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)?

According to the Black Hat researchers Mickey Shkatov and Toby Kohlenberg

"Gadgets are comprised of JS, CSS and HTML and are application that the Windows operating system has embedded by default. As a result there are a number of interesting attack vectors that are interesting to explore and take advantage of. We will be talking about our research into creating malicious gadgets, misappropriating legitimate gadgets and the sorts of flaws we have found in published gadgets"

According to MS

"An attacker who successfully exploited a Gadget vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user. If the current user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker could take complete control of the affected system,"

The Attacker doesn't have to be a 3rd party gadget, but could be anything (virus, trojan, ......). Its just that the platform itself is insecure and vulnerable.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

They were already killing off Windows Gadgets, and I don't know anyone who uses them - people already use things like Rainmeter that have way more functionality and easier to customize, or simply avoid cluttering their desktops altogether.

Not sure I'm getting what you're trying to say here.

Hum well I have used the weather gadget for some time now - not much else and I was just voicing my own personal concerns on what is actually happening security wise with whatever applications are out there.

Just seems to me at least that everything and anything is being attacked by malware of one sort or another, and that I personally find the constant warnings of net - web (whatever you want to call it) attacks unnerving.
I certainly wasn't out to prove any point if I gave that impression I must apologise to you.

I have only just recently found out Rainmeter and haven't had time to get around to using it, as I work shiftwork and most of my of duty time is spent fixing or build gear for people I work with.

Perhaps I should just not say anything that I think others might be interested in.

 

[LittleJay]

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!

I hear you on that! It seems like anything to do with the Windows OS is subject to attack. I also have Linux Ubuntu installed on my PC, but can't always find comparable app's for it, to those I run in Windows. Otherwise I would stop using Windows all together.