Microsoft advises nuking Windows Gadgets after security hole discovery

[wraggster]

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2009/08/windows-7-screens1-jljkj.jpg (http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/11/microsoft-advises-nuking-windows-gadgets-after-security-hole/)Whether you see Windows Vista (http://www.engadget.com/tag/WindowsVista/) and Windows 7 (http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/12/windows-7-review/) Gadgets as handy tools or a blight upon a pristine desktop, you might want to shut them off for safety's sake. Mickey Shkatov and Toby Kohlenberg have found that the desktop widgets' web-based code have flaws that would allow malicious Gadgets, or even hijacked legitimate Gadgets, to compromise a PC without having to go through the usual avenues of attack. Microsoft's short-term answer to the vulnerability is a drastic one, though: a stopgap patch disables Gadgets entirely, leaving just a barren desktop in its wake. There's no word on a Gadget-friendly solution arriving before Kohlenberg and Shkatov present at the Black Hat Conference (http://www.engadget.com/tag/BlackHatConference/) on July 26th, but we suspect Microsoft's ultimate answer is to move everyone to Windows 8 (http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/31/windows-8-release-preview-detailed-impressions/), where Gadgets aren't even an option. We understand the importance of preventing breaches, of course -- we're just disappointed that we'll have to forgo miniature stock tickers and weather forecasts a little sooner than expected (http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/09/microsoft-confirms-windows-8-rtm/).

http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/11/microsoft-advises-nuking-windows-gadgets-after-security-hole/