Security News
Microsoft says the August 2023 preview updates released this week for Windows 11 and Windows 10 systems are causing blue screens with errors mentioning an unsupported processor issue. The updates in question are tagged as KB5029351 and KB5029331, and they come with Search app fixes and introduce a new Backup app, respectively.
Microsoft has released the optional KB5029331 Preview cumulative update for Windows 10 22H2 with sixteen improvements or fixes, including the introduction of a new Backup app. While recent Windows 10 updates have been acting primarily as bug fixes, this update includes several new features, demonstrating that Microsoft is not completely ignoring Windows 10 in favor of Windows 11.
Security researchers have released NoFilter, a tool that abuses the Windows Filtering Platform to elevate a user's privileges to increases privileges to SYSTEM, the highest permission level on Windows. Microsoft defines the Windows Filtering Platform as "a set of API and system services that provide a platform for creating network filtering applications."
Microsoft now provides administrators with a new Windows 11 policy that controls how monthly non-security preview updates are installed on enterprise devices.This newly introduced policy provides IT admins with the tools required to manage the deployment of new Windows 11 features and fixes before the general release scheduled each month during Patch Tuesday.
Microsoft has released the optional August 2023 cumulative update for Windows 11, version 22H2, with fixes for several issues affecting the Search app. KB5029351 is a monthly non-security preview update that enables Windows admins and users to test fixes and improvements scheduled for release with the forthcoming September 2023 Patch Tuesday rollout.
Threat actors are leveraging access to malware-infected Windows and macOS machines to deliver a proxy server application and use them as exit nodes to reroute proxy requests. According to AT&T Alien Labs, the unnamed company that offers the proxy service operates more than 400,000 proxy exit nodes, although it's not immediately clear how many of them were co-opted by malware installed on infected machines without user knowledge and interaction.
In its upcoming 23H2 release slated for fall, one of the standout features that has caught the eye of many is the 'never combine mode' for the taskbar. Previously, Windows 10 users will recall the ability to keep icons on the taskbar separate, which can be especially helpful when juggling multiple windows from the same app.
A very useful and previously unknown Windows tip was revealed this week, where you can halt process jumping in Task Manager by holding down the Ctrl key on your keyboard, allowing easier access to a listed process. The Windows Task Manager is one of the most useful built-in tools for managing your system, allowing you to terminate unresponsive applications and see what processes are using too much CPU, memory, and other resources.
A previously undetected attack method called NoFilter has been found to abuse the Windows Filtering Platform to achieve privilege escalation in the Windows operating system. "If an attacker has the ability to execute code with admin privilege and the target is to perform LSASS Shtinkering, these privileges are not enough," Ron Ben Yizhak, a security researcher at Deep Instinct, told The Hacker News.
Learn seven different ways to boot a Windows 10 PC in Safe Mode to help troubleshoot issues using this comprehensive guide. Fear not: As with most Windows shortcuts, there are multiple ways to enter Safe Mode in Windows 10.