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coffeegrinder
coffeegrinder
Join Date 12/2001
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Microsoft warns of security risk concerning Windows Sidebar and Gadgets

Microsoft's security team advises " Disable Windows Sidebar and Gadgets NOW on Vista and Windows 7 "

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July 12, 2012 8:52:07 AM from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Users of Windows Vista and Windows 7 have been advised to completely disable their Windows Sidebar and Gadgets, in response to what appears to be a serious security risk.

Read about it here :-  http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/07/12/disable-windows-sidebar-gadgets/?utm_source=Naked+Security+-+Sophos+List&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fb4d853f07-naked%252Bsecurity

 

Microsoft Fix it :-  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2719662

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coffeegrinder
ZubaZ
Join Date 11/2001
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Reply #1 July 12, 2012 9:07:22 AM
from Stardock ForumsStardock Forums

DX always took care of my gadget needs.  Good info though.

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coffeegrinder
DrJBHL
Join Date 04/2002
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Reply #2 July 12, 2012 9:10:54 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Thanks, coffeegrinder. 

"Clearly Microsoft is worried about the security researchers' findings, and has issued a "Fix It Tool" which will protect Windows 7 and Vista users by entirely disabling the Windows Sidebar and Gadgets functionality.

Yes, that's right. Microsoft hasn't issued a security patch to fix the vulnerability. They're suggesting you completely nuke your Windows Sidebar and Gadgets."

So "Fix it" = "Nuke it".

Unhappy for folks who used them...

 

OT but how about this one?

http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/07/12/yahoo-voices-hacked/

"This morning, hacker group D33DS Company, published the 453,491 email addresses and passwords online in plain text, in a document marked "Owned and Exposed"."

Yahoo voices hacked. Great.

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coffeegrinder
Island Dog
Join Date 06/2003
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Reply #3 July 12, 2012 9:13:49 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Haven't used the sidebar since Vista. 

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coffeegrinder
Wizard1956
Join Date 01/2008
+2202
Reply #4 July 12, 2012 9:38:14 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

So, if MS tells us Windows7 is a security risk, we are all supposed to jump to Windows 8? It sounds to me like they are tryng to scare people into accepting all the lame decisions they make.(much like the U.S. government)

Having a PC on the internet at all is a "security risk"  I guess I'll trade my PC for a PS3, play offline and be safe.

All the gadgets I use are system monitoring utilities. When SD gets DX to do what they do, and just as well, I'll replace them. Otherwise, I'll give them up when I give up Windows.

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coffeegrinder
RedneckDude
Join Date 04/2009
+2223
Reply #5 July 12, 2012 11:27:23 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting Zubaz,
reply 1
DX always took care of my gadget needs.  Good info though.
Now there's a smart guy!!!!

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coffeegrinder
Rosco_P
Join Date 07/2009
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Reply #6 July 12, 2012 1:10:08 PM
from Stardock ForumsStardock Forums

Quoting DrJBHL,
reply 2
So "Fix it" = "Nuke it".

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coffeegrinder
Uvah
Join Date 05/2006
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Reply #7 July 12, 2012 1:30:51 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Boom!

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coffeegrinder
neone6
Join Date 12/2010
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Reply #8 July 12, 2012 2:35:10 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

UVAH !!!

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coffeegrinder
2of3
Join Date 10/2006
+816
Reply #9 July 12, 2012 2:59:20 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Disabling the sidebar and gadgets is the very first thing I do on a new machine!

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coffeegrinder
Wizard1956
Join Date 01/2008
+2202
Reply #10 July 12, 2012 3:36:47 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting 2of3,
reply 9
Disabling the sidebar and gadgets is the very first thing I do on a new machine!

  I got attached to it with Vista. I even added a (skinnable) gadget to it that put the Vista style sidebar on Win7.

No meters? Whaddya want, idiot lights on your computer, just like on new cars?  

 I've been a "hands on" technician all my life. Pressure, frequency, voltage, amperage, resistance, temperature, if it has it, I have a way of monitoring it. I couldn't function without proper accurate test equipment, I don't expect my computer to either.

Now if the sidebar was just a bunch of RSS feeds , clocks, and  search gadgets or limited to what came with Windows, I could do without it.

I never got the hang of sysmetrics. Maybe I should give it another look.

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coffeegrinder
CarGuy1
Join Date 03/2007
+548
Reply #11 July 12, 2012 6:57:00 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Kind of looks like MS decided not to support the sidebar and gadgets so they scare everyone into nuking it off their system. I was unable to locate anything about the gadgets that shipped with Windows Vista or Windows 7 being a security risk or malicious code.

I understand that 3rd party gadgets could be a risk, but If MS wrote their own, are they now saying they are dangerous?

Is it possible that MS is footing the bill on the feed for their weather gadget and are doing this to cut back on costs? 

Jorge seems to be familiar with the weather feed costs and I would love to hear his take on this.

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coffeegrinder
kryo
Join Date 05/2003
+458
Reply #12 July 12, 2012 8:10:33 PM
from Stardock ForumsStardock Forums

Probably somebody finally realized that since they're basically just miniature browser windows sitting on your desktop, they're prone to all the same vulnerabilities (plus any that may exist in the gadget app data store). If you're only using known safe ones or ones you wrote yourself, the risk is the same as if the only website you visit is microsoft.com...

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