BetaNews: Huge BootHole flaw in GRUB2 bootloader leaves millions of Windows and Linux systems at risk from hackers. “A serious vulnerability dubbed BootHole has been discovered in the GRUB2 bootloader. Millions of systems run the risk of being exposed to hackers — primarily those running Linux, but Windows is also affected.”
Windows
BetaNews: Microsoft blocks users from upgrading to Windows 10 May 2020 Update because their PC settings aren’t supported
BetaNews: Microsoft blocks users from upgrading to Windows 10 May 2020 Update because their PC settings aren’t supported. “We’ve already seen Windows 10 May 2020 Update causing a range of problems for users, including login issues, problems with Storage Spaces and issues with OneDrive. But there are also some people for whom even the installation is problematic.”
The Verge: Microsoft announces new Windows 10 Start menu design and updated Alt-Tab
The Verge: Microsoft announces new Windows 10 Start menu design and updated Alt-Tab. “Microsoft is introducing a new Windows 10 Start menu design that will de-emphasize its Live Tiles. The software giant first hinted at the refreshed design earlier this year, and it’s arriving for Windows 10 testers today.”
BetaNews: Get back deleted data with Microsoft’s new Windows File Recovery tool
BetaNews: Get back deleted data with Microsoft’s new Windows File Recovery tool. “Windows File Recovery is a free app in the Microsoft store which can be used to recover data that has been lost for a variety of reasons. The command line tool can be used to retrieve data from local hard drives as well as removable media such as USB drives and memory cards.”
BetaNews: Google teams up with Parallels to allow Chromebooks to run Windows apps
BetaNews: Google teams up with Parallels to allow Chromebooks to run Windows apps. “Initially derided as a limited modern take on netbooks, Chromebooks have gathered loyal followers over the years as app support grows. In addition to web apps, there is also support for Android and Linux apps, but Chromebook owners have long dreamed of the day they can run Windows software. Thanks to a partnership between Google and virtualization specialist Parallels it will not be too long before Windows apps in Chrome OS becomes a reality. The bad news is that there is a slight caveat.”
The Register: Wailing Wednesday follows Patch Tuesday as versions of Windows 10 stop playing nicely with plugged-in printers
The Register: Wailing Wednesday follows Patch Tuesday as versions of Windows 10 stop playing nicely with plugged-in printers . “Windows 10 users woke up to borked printers following the monthly Microsoft bugfix party, Patch Tuesday. The issues appear connected to KB4557957 and KB4560960 for Windows 10 2004 and 1903/1909 respectively.”
BetaNews: Microsoft fixes multiple actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities as part of Patch Tuesday
BetaNews: Microsoft fixes multiple actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities as part of Patch Tuesday. “Microsoft’s monthly Patch Tuesday security updates are always important, but the ones released this week are particularly important. Not only do the fixes address numerous zero-day vulnerabilities, but the security flaws they fix were being actively exploited. In all, Microsoft has plugged 113 CVE-numbered vulnerabilities this month. 17 of these are marked as being critical, and 96 as important.”
BetaNews: Microsoft warns that hackers are exploiting two unpatched Windows bugs
BetaNews: Microsoft warns that hackers are exploiting two unpatched Windows bugs. “Microsoft has warned that all versions of Windows feature critical unpatched RCE vulnerabilities. The security problems stem from the Windows Adobe Type Manager Library, and relates to the parsing of fonts.”
The Next Web: Mozilla launches a VPN app for Android and Windows
The Next Web: Mozilla launches a VPN app for Android and Windows. “The app is currently in the beta phase, and you need an invite to sign up. Once you get an invite, you need to pay $4.99 a month, because privacy is not a free lunch. In return, Mozilla vows not to log your network traffic or your browsing history.”
Krebs on Security: Microsoft Patch Tuesday, February 2020 Edition
Krebs on Security: Microsoft Patch Tuesday, February 2020 Edition. “Microsoft…released updates to plug nearly 100 security holes in various versions of its Windows operating system and related software, including a zero-day vulnerability in Internet Explorer (IE) that is actively being exploited. Also, Adobe has issued a bevy of security updates for its various products, including Flash Player and Adobe Reader/Acrobat.”
Neowin: Windows 7 bug that prevents users from shutting down has an unofficial workaround
Neowin: Windows 7 bug that prevents users from shutting down has an unofficial workaround. “The issue prevents users from shutting down the PC and provides an error message that reads: ‘You don’t have permission to shut down this computer’. While the Redmond giant hasn’t acknowledged the said issue yet, there seem to be a few workarounds – one of which is supposedly a permanent fix that involves tweaking the group policy.”
I Programmer: Search Tool Released For Deleted Microsoft Knowledge Base Articles
I Programmer: Search Tool Released For Deleted Microsoft Knowledge Base Articles . “A new tool that can help find Microsoft Knowledge Base articles that have been deleted from the Microsoft site has been launched. The Microsoft KB Archive Search is described by its creators as a targeted Wayback time machine.”
Engadget: Bug prevents Windows 7 users from shutting down their PCs
Engadget: Bug prevents Windows 7 users from shutting down their PCs. ” Many users on Microsoft’s forums, Reddit and elsewhere are reporting that their Windows 7 systems refuse to shut down or reboot as they normally would, claiming that ‘you don’t have permission to shut down this computer.’ Users have unofficially fixed it by running the Group Policy Editor from the command line to force permissions, but that’s clearly not something users should have to do just to turn their PCs off.”
BetaNews: Yet another Windows 10 update is causing problems
BetaNews: Yet another Windows 10 update is causing problems. “Problematic updates for Windows 10 have become pretty common these days, and now it has happened again. Microsoft released the KB4532695 update last week to address problems with Explorer which were introduced by the November 2019 Update. But this update has itself been found to cause issues, with users complaining of BSoDs, audio problems and more.”
BetaNews: Hacker demonstrates Remote Code Execution exploit for Windows Remote Desktop Gateway
BetaNews: Hacker demonstrates Remote Code Execution exploit for Windows Remote Desktop Gateway. “The exploit takes advantage of the CVE-2020-0609 and CVE-2020-0610 vulnerabilities which have already been shown to make a denial of service attack possible. Now Luca Marcelli has shown how the same vulnerabilities can be exploited in a Remote Code Execution attack.”
