Windows Users Get a Security Warning from Govt

Reported by Palak Sharma August 26th, 2022 at 07:33 pm

Here are the reasons why it's crucial to heed the high severity warning that the Indian government has issued for Windows PC users.

Highlights

A warning has been issued by the government to all Microsoft Windows users.
The government has warned that Windows PCs are highly vulnerable to hacking.
A list of Windows versions with a high vulnerability has been made public by CERT-In.

Windows

Using a Windows-based desktop? The Indian government has issued a high-security alert for you, so you should be aware of it. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, through the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), has released a warning for all Windows users warning that Windows may have a serious vulnerability. Users are urged to upgrade their hardware right now. A security issue that could impair Windows Defender, the application that shields Windows against viruses, spyware, and other threats, has been brought to the attention of the organisation.

What is the Warning For Window Users

The current situation, according to experts from CERT-In and Microsoft, is one of the most serious security emergencies in recent memory. The fact that hackers could be able to access a computer without being noticed by security measures is further highlighted due to the high level of vulnerability. As a result, it has been reported that a weakness in the Windows Defender's Credential Guard component allows a locally authenticated attacker to bypass security precautions and get elevated access to the targeted system. The issue that causes the default falls under the heading of a zero-day vulnerability. This suggests that it is only found while it is being used. It has access to the entire domain because it can spoof and seem to be an authorised user. For businesses and organisations that use domains to manage each machine or account connected to the system as a whole, this could have very negative effects.

This vulnerability was purportedly found in the year 2021, based on an examination done by certain security experts throughout the world. There are around 1.5 billion active Windows users at the moment. The recent vulnerability is thought to affect roughly 43 distinct Microsoft versions, according to experts. According to CERT-warning, Windows Defender Credential Guard has been discovered to have privilege escalation and security bypass flaws that could allow a locally authenticated attacker to get around security measures and obtain elevated rights on the targeted machine.

List of Affected Windows Version

1. Windows 11 for Systems Based on ARM64
2. Windows 11 for Systems based on x64
3. Version 1607 of Windows 10 for x64-based systems
4. Version 1607 of Windows 10 for 32-bit systems
5. Windows 10 for Systems based on x64
6. 32-bit versions of Windows 10
7. Version 21H2 of Windows 10 for x64-based systems
8. Version 21H2 of Windows 10 for ARM64-based Systems

Reported By

Palak Sharma

Palak believes that creativity and simplicity are the keys for the best articles, it helps people to understand your point in a right way. She is also a traveller, love to explore new places, meeting new people and to know about different cultures and religions is what she love. She thinks writing is an art and when a artist holds a pen they create magic with their words.