Microsoft Backports Windows 7 Security Change to XP, Vista
Microsoft has backported changes to its AutoRun and AutoPlay features to Windows Vista and Windows XP to help users fight malware that spreads via USB devices. Microsoft made the change in Windows 7 earlier in 2009 to stop the spread of the infamous Conficker worm, which was taking advantage of the functionality to silently jump from PC to PC. With the change, Windows will no longer display the AutoRun task in the AutoPlay dialog except for removable optical media such as CDs and DVDs. The functionality was made available for XP, Vista, and Windows Server 2003 and 2008 on Aug. 25. Information on how to download the updates can be found here. The decision to make the change followed the well-publicized growth of malware spreading via USB devices during the past couple of years. In fact, a report by Symantec found that self-copying to removable media was among the most common means of malware propagation in the second half of 2007. "McAfee expects increased attacks involving USB sticks and flash-memory devices used in cameras, picture frames and other consumer electronics," Dave Marcus, director of security research at McAfee Avert Labs, blogged in January. "This trend will continue due to the almost unregulated use of flash storage [devices] across enterprise environments as well as their popularity among consumers." |
Comments (5)
Hi,
This has to be done long back insted Microsoft has now got the time to do it. it's good.
This doesn't solve the problum because, it's only stop the USB drive to autoplay but it dont detect or remove the virus in that, inturn the virus will auto spread when he clicks on that drive.
Microsoft should developed a inbuilt application software which will remove autorun (Conficker worm) file.
Not only USB drives their are some optical drive carry Conficker worm, when the user Burns (writes) the media from a computer which has Conficker worm.So this cannot be stop.
In-turn the user should have a Good antivirus and Malware protection software in his computer with the updates installed.
Thankyou.
Posted by navazkhan | September 15, 2009 12:24 AM
AutoRun can obviously be annoying, wonder who came up with the idea in the first place? On the other hand, since Microsoft has helpfully named Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer as if they were twins, many Windows users have no idea there is a folder view (Windows Explorer) which will let them at least take a look a what's on the media their machine is confronted with.
Obviously they can't eliminate AutoRun completely since that would make installing new software more of a task: having to use Windows Explorer to find the *.exe on the inserted media to launch the install. Can't imagine all the third party software makers would find that amusing.
The result of all this is that Windows seems to be slowly shutting down all access to media not installed on the hard drive and some that is (Panicky 'Active Content' warnings in Internet Explorer because of the Active X business model.)
In the midst of all this the knowledgeable Windows OS user tends to find convincing the OS that he or she really isn't as stupid as whoever shows up at the focus groups that seem be determine the future of Windows.
The solution to all this might be to make Windows simpler and less unnecessarily clever, letting it be an operating system rather than a three ring circus.
Posted by anon tech | September 15, 2009 1:39 AM
Yes, it was appropriate time to do the needful to save the name of Microsoft
Posted by Rakesh Sharma | September 15, 2009 4:04 AM
Yes, it was appropriate time to do the needful to save the name of Microsoft
Posted by Rakesh Sharma | September 15, 2009 4:06 AM
A better solution to AutoPlay in general is to have a Windows-created shortcut to D:\Setup.exe (or whatever your CD's drive letter is). Thus, we wouldn't have to deal with the issue of a CD automatically starting its installation routine, splash screen, or anything else every time we want to look at the pictures on a Kodak image CD or access the extra tools on a program's CD.
This would make placing the setup.exe file in the root of every program's installation CD a "forced" standard, but software publishers are already used to the standards required in Autorun.inf anyway.
Posted by Scott E | September 16, 2009 2:21 PM