Flaw security vista window

Security platform 0patch is said to be working on a stop-gap fix to give Microsoft more time to solve the problem. Samsung has killed off one of its most beloved smartphone ranges, according to reports. And, a tech expert has revealed some exciting hidden Google features in a popular TikTok video. Email us at exclusive the-sun. This, genuinely, is the first security advisory I feel reluctant to put in.

I actually find some mileage with the calendar and weather tool, since I dont really have a desk calendar and I work in a cavernous cubicle farm, with no way of seeing what the weather outside is like. Better safe than sorry.

I suppose looking up on RainMeter to replace the functionality I miss might be a good idea, now…. This is actually the dumbest security advisory I have ever read.

You cannot be hacked by a widget if you dont download them. Just keep the default microsoft ones or ones you know to be trustworthy and your safe. I hate people that go over the top nuclear on a threat. Not only can dangerous apps be made, but the existing sidebar gadgets clock, calendar, whatever can be exploited by malware on your computer to gain full access to it.

The problem lies with 3rd party gadgets. Gadgets vs Windows. Windows itself could be exploited. Again MS reacting hardly on an unknown issue, instead of looking into it closely… The sole problem may be third-party gadget, which, in my opinion not a majority of W7 users installs.

Unfortunately there's not very much information coming in about this from Microsoft at the moment. But it's quite possible that the researchers have shared their findings with Microsoft, and that MS knows more than they are currently sharing perhaps to avoid more people exploiting the vulnerabilities. Also, note that the researchers claim that they have found ways to "misappropriate" existing gadgets.

I have just enabled a few gadgets and now I am reading about their vulnerability. Any updates on whether all gadgets are vulnerable? An attacker would have to convince a user to install and enable a vulnerable Gadget. From this doesn't it seem that only some gadgets are vulnerable? It still comes with gadgets. If these gadgets are so vulnerable, why would Microsoft still include them on a recent build December of Windows 7? You know, like a computer? For real work and real computing, you need a real computer — not a postcard size screen.

The two are not interchangeable. Thank you! It might be the lack of caffeine affecting my thinking but which of the 2 fixes am I suppose to download if I want to disable the sidebar completely?

Microsoft has mislabeled the fix options. Select the disable option to enable the fix. This could be a problem for users who do not check for the gadget availibility after a fix. I have my Gadgets and Sidebar disabled, but Sticky notes still works fine. It's what I call the normal version, over the gadget sticky note version I saw once and was like eww how did they manage to ruin it as a gadget.

I never use the gadgets to begin with. But, I also have never heard of this alleged threat. Oh well…onward and upward! Funny just decided to try these out — yesterday! At least I haven't gotten used to them yet! Numbers start with AA-xxxxxxx or CS-xxxxxxx. The other thing you can do is keep the Task Monitor open on Performance to see at least some of the functions you want like CPU useage, etc.

I love my gadgets. Since I run my laptop sort of close to the edge of its performance, it is very useful for me to know quickly when something is leaking. It is disappointing that the solution is to simply turn them off, and it is also unusual that Microsoft is dropping support so quickly.

Normally features hang around forever. Is it likely that after the presentation on the vulnerabilities that a patch to, you know, fix the problem will come out? I use every one of those I've added! My clock is international so I know what time it is for the people I talk to overseas. Why couldn't Windows come up with a solution for all the moth holes they seem to have in everything…I mean besides just kill it!

There is a fix for the time app available; you can select a second clock to display in the taskbar — I have mine set for 'my' CDT and a second for HK Hong Kong time.

There are lots more available. Tools like sticky notes and clocks and calendars are not things that absolutely must come from the Gods. These are easy things to create yourself with a minor amount of computing knowledge. I use the Outlook Appointments mod. I will miss it greatly. It lists all of my appts in an agenda format so I don't have to actually open my calendar to see what my next 5 apps are.

That's the only gadget I use and I find it very useful. Too bad I'll have to turn it off…. I have my Gadgets disabled, never used them. You might have to turn off Aero to do this first. Aero is such a waste of resources, I effectively disabled it in my settings and use the Windows Classic Theme.

You need that setting, and to turn off Aero features by disabling unchecking cetain settings in your graphics. That will disable Aero and Gadgets completely, as Gadgets use the Aero interface. I did not like them to begin with. Won't miss a darn thing. When we were stuck with Windows 7 bought a new laptop a year or so ago I turned off the sidebar when setting the machine up, I'm mostly an "old school" purist when it comes to computers.

Enabling the workaround will disable Windows Sidebar and Gadgets. In other words you want the first Fixit article with the number However, on the 2x Windows 7 64 bit SP1 PCs that I have enabled this workaround on, it simply closes the gadgets that were in use and they can easily be displayed again I rebooted after applying the workaround.

I too, am a little old fashioned and want my large 27 inch screen to be used for my applications and not for doubling up on items, e. An earlier post said that the workarounds were mislabled, yet the preceding post does say to enable the workaround to disable the sidebar and gadgets. My question is this. After enabling the workaround and restarting my computer, gadgets still showed up on the desktop. I would have expected them to be gone.

Have I used the correct "fix it"? Darn it! I really liked the gadgets that I used! Keeping track of the GPU temp, the temperature and a couple of others. I hope they get this fixed. I want to use them again. I will have to look for third party gadgets and hope they don't have malware installed with them. After that they just used up valuable desktop real estate. I like a clean desktop and the gadgets just seemed to clutter it up. Click Run in the File Download dialog box, and then follow the steps in the Fix it wizard.

Sorry for the confusion. I have used many Microsoft Fix It Security Workarounds in the past, enabling the workaround would always disabled the functionality in question as intended. However, as was previously pointed out, it appears they were mislabelled.

I have confirmed that the workarounds were mis-labelled, using the disable workaround worked as intended, gadgets no longer work. Cathy Liebgold: Using the security workaround will disable all gadgets, including 3rd party gadgets. Windows 8 apps will most likely offer the same functionality as gadgets but as a Metro UI app, so all is not lost. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

NBC News Logo. Covid Politics U. News World Opinion Business. Share this —. The flaw affects all users of Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and 8.

Microsoft decided not to wait until its regularly scheduled monthly security update, known as "Patch Tuesday," to issue a fix. The company last issued an emergency patch like this in November Microsoft said a hacker could attack unsuspecting Windows users by convincing them to open a specially crafted document or visit a compromised Web page because the vulnerability affected OpenType, a widely used format for computer fonts co-developed by Microsoft and Adobe.

Computer security researchers found the flaw by looking over a collection of emails leaked online after cyberattackers breached the systems of Italian surveillance firm Hacking Team earlier this month. The emergency fix comes at a sensitive time for Microsoft, which is just a week away from releasing the next big overhaul of its operating system, called Windows